Always Be there
by Dayyy213
Summary: Bella works as a receptionist at a hotel edward comes to stay at. They meet and hit it off. Better than it sounds. All human.
1. Pilot

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Chapter 1:

Bella's point of view:

I walked past the sliding doors at the front of the hotel. I kept button up my vest with both bands as I walked towards the reception desk. Jessica was on the phone with a guest giving them directions.

"Sir, may I put you on hold for just a second? I have another agent who knows the area better than I do." She pressed the hold button, extending the phone to me. "He needs directions from the airport."

I grabbed the phone and took the man off hold. "Hello, sir. Thank you for holding. This is Bella and I'd be more than happy to give you directions from the airport." I said in the formality we had been taught while working at the hotel. I gave him the directions and asked him to call us back if he did get lost. It seemed I did that everyday.

I turned around saw Jessica counting her drawer. I went into the back office and put my purse down next to the door. As I headed back to clock in, the general manager called me into his office.

"Yes sir." I said as I approached his office door.

Matthew Smith motioned for me to sit down. "Sit, Bella, please."

I took a seat on the chair closest to the door. I felt extremely nervous about this.

"Tonight, we have a VIP guest coming in with his family. The last name is Cullen. He's here to help his son settle in at University of Washington . Bella, you are our best out there with the guests, but I really want you to go beyond this time. I know you are going to be attending UW as well, so I was hoping you could give his son a personal tour."

I sat there, trying to find a way to make him understand that it would be a bad idea. "Mr. Smith, I don't know if I would be able to give much of a tour. I mean, I only just moved onto campus about four days ago. There wouldn't be much I could show him."

"Bella, please find a way to get this done. Mr. Cullen is an extremely important client. We'll consider a raise after they leave, okay?" His phone rang just then, and he went to answer it. I knew I had no choice. "Oh and one more thing, when they check in, walk them to their room, make sure everything is okay with it and if they are hungry or thirsty have the kitchen prepare anything they desire. Thank you."

I stood up and began to walk back to the desk. Jessica was waiting for me so she could leave. I had a feeling it was going to be a long week.

Edwards Point of View:

It had been my dad's idea. He wanted everyone to come and help me move in. My mom was having a hard time letting go even though Alice had already left for college.

We were driving from the airport in the rented car. I had chosen University of Washington as my school for two reasons. The first being it was close to the school Alice was attending. The second reason being the weather was always gloomy. I enjoyed gloomy.

Alice was singing softly and out of tune to a on the radio. "Dad, do you think I'll be able to see Jasper, while we're here?"

Jasper was Alice 's new boyfriend. They talked on the phone everyday at all possible hours. He came to see her halfway through the summer and Alice had taken a trip herself to see him. Alice was only a year older than he was, but sometimes she acted as though she was a decade older.

"Dad, how long are you going to be here?" I asked. I was just curious.

:"Ready for your independence? We'll probably only stay two or three days. We also need to get Alice settled in. I need to be back at the hospital by the end of the week." He told me. Three days was not so bad. School started on Monday so it would give me a few days by myself to meet people.

Alice was the next to speak. Her excited voice matched her face. "Edward, look!" She was pointing straight ahead. It seemed our hotel was right on the water. It was like my dad to pick the most expensive places.

He parked the car at the front entrance and a bell boy immediately began to approach the car. I heard him address my father. I looked over at Alice and she rolled her eyes. We were going to be treated like royalty here too.

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Authors note:

Here's the start. I'll try and post daily. Give me suggestions. It's abit short, but I just wanted to introduce the characters. Enjoy.

Day


	2. Proper Meeting

Chapter 2:

BPOV:

The radio crackled. "Smith to Front Desk." I hear come from it. I picked it up and pressed the side bar.

"Bella Speaking. go ahead." I said into it.

"Bella, what is your location?" He asked.

"Front Desk, sir. I haven't left since I arrived."

"Okay, our guests have arrive. Can you head to the front entrance please?" He asked.

I grabbed the packets containing room keys and the tray with water bottles. "On my way sir. 10-4." I put the radio back on the charger and made my way to the front doors. I could see the car parked right at the entrance. Mike, the bellman, was already unloading their luggage onto the carts. Mr. Smith was shaking Mr. Cullen's hand. On the other side of the vehicle his wife was getting out of the front seat. His children seemed to be watching Mike load up the cart.

I approached Mr. Smith and Mr. Cullen.

"Ah, here she is, Carlisle." He smiled at me. I smiled back. "She is going to be at your service the entire time you are here. She will take over from here. I have so much business to take care of, you know how it is. Please if you need anything at all, let Bella here know." With that, he walked back into the hotel.

"Good afternoon sir. I am Bella Swan. I'll have Mike take your bags up for you. He will also be moving your car." Mr. Cullen pulled a set of keys from his pocket and handed them to Mike. "So if you and your family will please follow me."

I began to lead the way inside the hotel. Once we were all inside, I heard his daughter squeal with excitement. "Oh Edward, it's so beautiful."

I came to a halt and turned around. "Mr.Cullen, I know you have been here before, but has your family?"

He smiled. I was becoming used to it. He seemed friendly, not what I was expecting. "No, they haven't. Let me introduce you. This is my daughter, Alice, my son Edward, and my wife Esme."

They all smiled back at me. I turned to look at each of them as they were introduced. When he introduced Edward, I had no realized that I had not taken a good look at him. It was his eyes that caught my attention the most. I quickly turned and began to shake each of their hands in turn. Edward seem to hold mine the longest.

I smiled, again and began to head towards the elevators. "We have you staying in our three bedroom suite. It comes with a complete kitchen, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, jacuzzi and living room. It is on the seventh floor and you also have a view of the ocean. Our restaurant is only open for breakfast and dinner. It opens from six 'o clock in the morning..." I kept giving them the trivia to the hotel. Whenever Alice interrupted to ask a question, I would always stop and politely answer.

We finally reached the seventh floor. I opened the main door to their suite. Alice immediately ran for the room closest to the jacuzzi. "I will leave you to settle in. If you need anything else tonight, I will be on shift until eleven o'clock." I set the tray with water bottles down on the counter and made my way out of the room.

EPOV:

When she closed the door I realized I had not taken my eyes off of her. She was so sure of herself. The way she kept giving us the information on the city and the hotel made me sure she had grown up here her entire life.

"Dad, you should have brought here before! I love the view. Edward, please stop staring at the door and go see your room!" Alice was always the most excited. She had already been in each of the rooms and the kitchen.

There was a knock at the door. "It's probably the bellman." Carlisle said. "Edward help me unload the carts."

I headed to help with unloading all the luggage, most of which happened to be Alice's. Dad gave him a tip and thanked him for his help. "We'll be having dinner later tonight. Everyone just needs to be downstairs by eight o'clock. You can go explore the hotel if you want or take a nap."

I grabbed my bags and went into my room. I saw that the bathroom was to the right of the door and it connected to Alice's room as well. Alice was already unloading all her beauty supplies onto the bathroom counter. "Little brother, do you want to go and see the indoor pool they have downstairs?"

"Yeah, just give me a few minutes to unpack." I replied.

As I was unpacking, I remembered my dad had said I would be getting a personal tour of the campus. Was Bella supposed to be the one giving the tour? I walked into Alice's room. "Hey, do you know if Bella is the one who is going to give me the tour?"

She looked up from her bag, staring directly at her. "Do you like her? Don't ruin this. Remember what happened with Tanya. She caused so much trouble for you."

I nodded. "Don't worry so much, Alice. It's going to be a fresh start." I smiled at her and we both began to head downstairs.

"She said the pool was down the hallway, didn't she?" Alice asked me, trying to see to the end of the hallway out of the glass elevators. "How far down do you think it is, Edward?"

"I don't know." I responded. I could see the restaurant right behind the elevators. The elevator slowly came to a stop on the first floor. We both exited them and began to head left to go down the hall.

"Excuse me. Were you two looking for something?" I would recognize that voice anywhere. I turned around to see Bella come from the back of the front desk. "Is there any direction I can point you in?"

Alice spoke up first. "The pool, we were looking for the pool." Alice looked at me. It was the look she always gave me when she did not understand what I was doing.

"Oh, it's down that hall right over there. All the way down to the end. The gym is also in that direction." She responded. She kept glancing towards me, but Alice held her main attention.

"Well, I'm going to head that way. I guess I'll see you in a bit, Edward."She left.

I turned around to face Bella. I extended my hand and introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Edward."

"I'm Bella." She smiled.

"My dad told me that someone was going to be giving me a tour of the campus. Would you happen to know who that would be?" I asked, being around her gave me a sudden confidence.

"That would be me. Except, I have to tell you. I only just moved onto the campus myself. Less than a week ago actually." She blushed slightly. It was amazing that anyone could still do that. I almost reached out to touch her cheek, but I stopped myself in time.

I laughed softly. "That's okay. Maybe you should give it to me anyway. I'm sure you know more than my dad or I would. Plus, I really don't want a professional one. I'm sick of hearing history about the campus." I rolled my eyes for her benefit.

She laughed. "Okay, how about tomorrow afternoon? I'm off tomorrow. Will your whole family be coming as well?"

I had not considered that before. In a split second I made the decision. "No, it will just be us. Is that okay?"

She nodded. She looked back at the desk where a phone was ringing. "I should get back. If you need..."

"We know, we can ask you. Wait, where do you want me to meet you?" I asked.

"I'll pick you up here, I'll have them ring your room,okay?" She stated and went back to her desk.

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A/N:

Here's the next chapter. I had about half of it finished last night, but I had trouble finishing it until about 7:30am this morning. So I hope you enjoy it. I'm looking for a beta so if anyone is interested PM me. Please leave me feedback! Also, all of Edwards history will show up, later. It's a bit better this way for now.

Day


	3. Tour Day

Chapter 3: Tour Day

EPOV:

I had been waiting around the phone all day. Alice and my mom kept coming in and asking if I wanted to go swimming. My dad at one point suggested I go swimming in the pool. I just wanted to be near the phone for when she called.

It did not make much sense because I was pretty sure that even if I wasn't in my room, she would figure out a way to find me as long as I was in the hotel. Around two in the afternoon the phone rang. "I got it!" I shouted to my dad, the only person left in the room.

"Hello, Edward?" Bella's voice asked on the line.

"Hey, it's me. Are you ready?" I asked anxiously.

"Shouldn't it be me asking you that?" She laughed. "Yes, I'm ready to go, I'll meet you down here."

BPOV:

I hung up the phone and smiled. He seemed excited to be getting a tour. I just hoped he was not too disappointed when he realized how little I knew of the campus.

"Hey, Bells. Mike has been talking about you again." I heard Jessica say to me. I had a feeling she had been talking long before that though. "I think you should have a talk with him again."

Mike, the bellman, had always had a crush on me since I started working here last summer. Every once in awhile he would start telling everyone what a great couple we were. It was getting to be a little frustrating when I had to let him know he needed to stop spreading the rumors.

The elevators opened just then and Edward walked through the opened doors. He looked extremely handsome in a pair of fitted jeans and a blue shirt that was not too tight. He left me speechless. I felt awkward in what I was wearing.

"Hey, we match." He said, noticing we had on jeans and matching blue shirts. The only difference was that he looked fabulous and I looked plain and awkward.

"I guess, we do." I responded. I looked back at Jessica and let her know I would be talking to Mike. I began to lead the way out of the hotel and headed for my old truck. It was the first time I felt embarrassed by the thing, I just hoped he wouldn't say anything. "That's mine."

"Great, let's get going." He headed for the driver's door.

"What are you doing?" I asked confused.

"Being a gentleman and opening your door for you."

I could not think of a single person who had ever done that for me before. It caused my insides to melt slightly.

A few hours later, towards the end of the tour, Edward and I were sitting on the steps in front Terry Hall. I found out that we were both going to be living in the same building. I showed him around the building since that was the one thing I knew very well about the campus. For most of the tour though, we just walked around read the signs. We were both learning the campus together. We had stopped at the bookstore and bought water bottles.

"Thank you Bella for this." He said softly to me.

"It was great. I know the campus a bit better now." I responded.

He looked over at me. "Can I surprise you with something?" He asked. He probably had no idea that I would never be able to deny him anything.

"Sure. Where are we going?" I asked, knowing he wouldn't tell me.

"Surprises are supposed to be secret." He teased me. He stood up then and stretched his hand out to help me up. "I'm driving, though."

EPOV:

I asked her for the truck's keys as we approached it. She grabbed them from inside her purse and handed them over. I proceeded to open her door before going around the truck to get in.

I knew where I wanted to take her. When my dad had first brought us to visit, he had taken us to a quiet little Italian restaurant in the middle of the city. I wanted to take her there, to thank her for the tour. She kept staring over at me.

"Is there something on my face?" I asked her. She blushed and shook her head. The rest of the ride to the restaurant was quiet.

I parked the truck and went around to open her door, only to find she had already let herself out. She was biting her lip.

"Is something wrong?" I asked her, maybe she didn't like Italian food.

"I'm not sure I can afford this." She answered truthfully.

"Well, good because I wasn't planning on letting you pay anyway."

"Oh, that's not fair, I need to pay my half." She persisted.

"No, and that's final. Let me do this. I mean, you just wasted your day showing me around the school. Allow this to be the thanks I give in return." I told her.

She nodded and I sighed with relief. We entered the restaurant and the hostess greeted us. She kept smiling the entire time as she sat us in our own private booth.

"You're waitress will be here shortly." She let me know. I noticed she kept avoiding Bella's gaze. Once our waitress arrived she asked me what we wanted to drink. "Bella, what do you want?"

"Coke," she responded.

I smiled at her and replied to our waitress, "Make that two." The waitress disappeared to get our drinks.

BPOV:

The waitress would not stop staring at Edward. It was making me mad. I couldn't explain why though. The only consolation was that Edward wasn't taking his eyes off of mine.

She came back with our drinks and asked Edward, not us, what he wanted to eat. He proceeded to ask me and I named the first thing on the menu. Again, he told her to make it two. He was so smooth. He stared at me the entire time and it was starting to frustrate the waitress. She stalked off.

"So tell me, how long have you been living here?" He asked me.

"I haven't been living in Seattle more than a week actually. I moved to Forks, which is about an hour away from here, from Phoenix." I stated. "What brought you to Seattle?"

He seemed to hesitate. I didn't know if he was thinking about how much to tell me or to tell me the truth. "Next."

"Okay, tell me about your family." I asked, not understanding what was so hard about the simple question.

"Alice is my older sister, she goes to UW in Tacoma. Not too far, but not too close." He told me. "My dad, Carlisle, is a doctor back home in Canada. My mom, Esme, is the most perfect mother anyone could ask for in life. You?"

The fact that he spoke that way about his mom made me happy. Very few guys seemed to be able to do that nowadays. "My dad Charlie is the reason I came out to live here in Washington. My mom Renee got remarried to this baseball star and wanted to travel with him. So I agreed to come live with my dad. It was a great decision."

"Yeah, it really was." He said softly. Our waitress arrived just then with our food. We ate in silence for the most part. He would occasionally ask me if I wanted anything else or not. We finished and walked back to the truck.

He let me drive, and simply directed me back to a street I knew. "What's your favorite color?"

"Blue. Are you single?" He asked bluntly.

"Yes, I've always been." I replied, giving him more information than he needed to know.

"Why?" He seemed shocked.

"I've just never been interested. It has always seemed like a hassle."

EPOV:

"The right guy just hasn't come along." I told her softly. I was having such a hard time believing no one had captivated her heart yet.

"Yeah," she replied. I leaned in a bit closer to her, my breath was on her face. She had her eyes closed.

"Have you ever been kissed?" I asked, realizing that maybe she had never experienced one.

"No." She was so honest, it warmed me. I pulled back. I wanted her first kiss to be something special, not something that happened in the front seat of her truck. She noticed my change in action.

"Sorry, I'll explain it all to you someday." I told her. "I'm moving in tomorrow. Will you come by and say hello?"

"Sure. If you need help, just stop by and let me know. I won't be doing much anyway." She told me. I grabbed her hand and kissed it softly. I wasn't ready to kiss her. I needed to sort through my past and make sure I wasn't going to hurt her. Kissing her was not a way to start if I wasn't sure of those things. I began to get out of the car. "Have a good night, Edward." She called as I got around to the driver's side.

I had a good feeling it was going to be a great night.

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AN:

Sorry this took a few days. My computer kept making it disappear so I had to restart from scratch. That always makes it harder.  
thanks to my beta; singer1940

Chapter four should be up today or tomorrow.

leave feedback!


	4. The Roommates

Chapter 4: The Roommates

BPOV:

I had been sitting in my room all day, reading one of the literature books assigned for my first literature class. I had a feeling that I should get as much as I could done before school started otherwise I'd be swamped with information and assignments. I had to admit though that I had been finding myself needing to reread certain pages since my mind kept wandering.

I secretly had hoped he would have kissed me last night, but he didn't. He asked me, and I said no. Maybe he found that repulsive. Maybe he didn't fool around with girls that were inexperienced. I wouldn't ever find myself lying to him. Something about being with him caused me to be honest.

I had been waiting for him to come by and ask for help moving in his stuff. I had not seen him once. I knew he was in the building because I had heard some girls down the hallway whispering about him. His cobalt eyes were unique; I knew no one else could have them.

I gave up trying to read the book and began to walk around my room. My roommate had not moved in yet. I figure it would happen any minute now considering school started in just a few short days. Just then I heard the door knock. I was hoping it was Edward, but preparing myself for my new roommate. I opened the door and found Alice Cullen standing at my doorway.

"Hi." She said as she hugged me. She invited herself right in and sat on the empty bed opposite mine.

"What brings you here?" I asked her, completely unsure of the reason behind her surprise visit.

"I just wanted to see what your room was like. Do you not have a roommate?" She asked me bouncing a bit on the bed.

"I do, but she hasn't arrived. So I heard you go to UW in Tacoma? What's that like?" I asked her. "I heard that Tacoma was better than Seattle. "

"In a way it is better, but for the most part it's pretty much the same." She replied. I kept looking at the door, hoping Edward would knock or just simply allow himself to walk through those doors.

"He's been thinking about coming to see you all day, but he mentioned something about wanting to look decent." She told me, as if she knew what I was waiting for while staring at the door. "Listen, I get this good vibe about you, but I need to warn you to be careful with Edward. He's has a past. I mean, we all have them, but hiss isn't exact a model past. Just please be careful."

Just then the doors flew open and a gorgeous blonde walked in with four boxes in front of her. Alice and I got up immediately to help her. She kept thanking us profusely. "I'm sorry; my parents were not able to help me move in so I have to carry all my things inside." We both offered to go downstairs to help her bring her things up. "I'm Rosalie, by the way."

"I'm Bella, and this is Alice. She's..." I hesitated, what was Alice.

"I'm a friend of Bella's, plus my little brother goes here." She stated with a smile. We made our way downstairs. The entire building seemed in chaos. Parents were helping their children bring down boxes and people were even taking stairs to extremely high floors. Between the three of us, we finished bringing in all of Rosalie's boxes in two trips. She kept thanking us. Alice excused herself when her phone rang.

"Hey, I have to go. My dad is leaving to head back to the hotel. I'll see you around, I'm sure I'll be visiting Edward sometime." She told us and walked off.

"You're friend is really nice. I hope we see her again." Rosalie told me as she began to unpack her clothes. I really liked Rosalie, although she was extremely beautiful, she seemed very kind. I knew I had no reason to be afraid of my new roommate.

EPOV:

I was probably one of the unluckiest guys on campus. I had landed the strongest looking guy to share a room with. It seemed like he could probably break me in half if I ticked him off. I kept to my side of the room. My mom had unpacked and organized all my clothes. My dad has set up my computer and installed a flat screen television that I was supposed to be sharing with my roommate.

Alice disappeared halfway through the afternoon and did not come back until my dad had given her a call. She returned and said she had been touring the campus. I knew her better than that. I knew she had been somewhere else.

I knew I had told Bella I might stop by and ask her to help me unpack, but with my parents here, we had more than enough help. Last night, when I had stopped myself from kissing her, I saw the disappointment in her eyes. I just wish I could explain to her why I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Right before I came here, I had made a promise to Alice that if I was to start anything else with any girl; I had to make sure it was for the right reasons. She didn't want me to mess up anymore. I think Alice was getting tired of being the one to pick up the pieces after it was all over.

I knew Bella was different though. From the moment I set eyes on her, I realized that she was stealing my heart for the first time. She had never been kissed, it was so innocent. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for her. I cared about whether or not Bella was hurting. It was a different feeling.

I began to make my way out the door when I heard my roommate speak to me. "Where are you going?" He asked.

I didn't know how much information I should give him. "I wanted to go pick something up from the store."

"Oh, okay. I'm Emmett. "He said, stretching his hand out. I shook it realizing he didn't have a handshake as hard as the one I had imagined. "I'm sorry if I come off a bit rude or mean, I have trouble meeting new people."

I nodded. It was good to know that it wasn't me that was causing him to be in such a bad mood. I began to make my way out the door. I grabbed the keys to my new silver Volvo my dad had surprised me with this morning.

BPOV:

Rosalie and I had spent an hour so talking about our lives. She was so easy going. She had even caused me to think about something else other than Edward.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. I looked at Rosalie and she shook her head. I knew I wasn't expecting anyone. I got up and answered the door. Edward stood in front of me holding a blindfold in his hand.

"Uhh, hi." I stammered out.

"Hey, I came to kidnap you. I have a surprise for you. I need you to get a sweater and maybe put a pair of jeans on. It might get cold. He stood at the door frame and it was Rosalie who invited him inside. He sat on my bed while I went to put on some jeans. I came back and he patted the place next to him, so I could sit.

"Close your eyes, "he ordered. I obeyed and felt the blindfold wrap around my eyes. I began to panic a little bit. "Shh, don't worry, it's just me. Trust me, okay? I want to take you somewhere special today."

I knew I had no choice; I would go wherever he would take me. I trusted him like I had trusted no other. I was just really curious as to what surprise he had planned for me this time.


	5. Surprise Date

Chapter 5: Surprise Date

EPOV:

I felt Bella tense up as soon as the blindfold wrapped around her eyes. "Shh, don't worry, it's just me. Trust me, okay? I want to take you somewhere special today." I grabbed her hand and began to lead her out the door.

"Can you trust me to lead you safely through the hallway or would you like me to carry you?" I asked her. She had a firm grip on my hand. I pressed the button to the elevator and waited for the door to open; taking the stairs was out of the question.

"Edward, where are you taking me?" She asked me softly once the elevator doors had closed. She walked back until she hit the back wall of the elevator.

"I already told you that it's a surprise. Please just trust me on this." I leaned close to her. She had a flowery scent. The elevator reached the first floor and we began to get out. I began to make our way towards the student parking lot.

Once we were outside of my car, I stopped and began to pull the car keys from my front pocket; I clicked the alarm and opened the passenger door for Bella. "Okay, you can get in my car." I gently pushed down on her shoulders and helped her buckle her seat belt.

I went around the car and sat in the driver's seat. Bella looked extremely nervous. I reached over and brushed her cheek with my hand. She turned her head slightly. I turned the car and began to back out of the parking space.

"Are you nervous?" She kept unfolding her hands and refolding them in her lap.

"I don't think I've ever been kidnapped before." She admitted. "How far away is it?"

"Not too far, we're about ten minutes away from the place." I responded as I brought the car to a stop at a red light. "It'll be worth it, I promise." I took a glance at the wicker basket on the back seat.

The rest of the drive went in silence. Once we approached the waterfront, I began to search for a parking space. It was late August and most of the college students were hanging out here.

BPOV:

I could feel the car come to a stop and a few seconds later I heard the ignition shut off. I heard Edward's door open and almost immediately I felt my door open. He grabbed my hand and helped me out of the car. I smelled salt and it took me a few seconds to realize that I could hear waves.

"Are we on the waterfront?" I asked him. He was opening a door again; I assumed it was the passenger behind mine. It closed and his hand was in mine again.

"Yes, we are on the waterfront." He confirmed and began to lead me closer to the waves.

"Since I guessed it, can I take the blindfold off?" I was getting really nervous about not being able to see where I was going. I was known to fall on a flat surface, I was sure I would probably fall in sand.

"No, that's only half of the surprise." He kept walking for a few more minutes. "Stand here." He whispered in my ear.

I couldn't tell what he was doing, but I knew he was no longer at my side. I felt his body leave. A few minutes later I felt his hands at the back of my blindfold. I reached up as it loosened its grip and pulled it off.

On the sand below me there was a blanket with a basket on top of it and a portable radio. I looked over at him and he smiled. "It's perfect." I hugged him for the first time. He held on longer than necessary.

We both sat down and he opened the basket. He pulled out a bottle of apple cider, a loaf of bread, cheese, meat and some fruits. I had never been on a picnic before and I was glad I could enjoy it with him. He began to prepare sandwiches for us.

"Turkey or Ham?" He asked me showing me both meats.

"I'll have turkey, please. How did you plan this? When did you have time?" I was still completely surprised that he could have this turn out so smoothly. Then a thought hit me, maybe he did this with all the girls he dated. Maybe that was why it turned out so perfect.

"Actually, I didn't plan it until my family left today. I realized that I had said I was going to stop by and let you help me and I didn't. I felt guilty so I went to the store. I was going to buy something to make you dinner, but then I saw that at their deli section they had ready-to-go picnic baskets and I realized it would be perfect." He said honestly.

"And the blindfolding part?" I asked him.

"That turned out a lot smoother than I thought. I was sure you were going to refuse to wear it, so I had a plan B." He laughed. "If you refused to wear it, I was just going to tell you and bring you anyway."

"You're lucky that I'm not very stubborn then, aren't you?" I replied. He really had just relied on luck, and it had turned out in his favor. He handed me my sandwich and opened the basket again in order to pull out two wine glasses. He popped open the cider bottle and poured cider into both glasses, handing me one.

"I say we make a toast to luck, then." He said, bumping my glass with his. We both took a sip and set it down. I took a bite of my sandwich and realized he was watching me eat.

"Aren't you going to eat?" I didn't enjoy being watched.

"Yes, ma'am," he said and picked up his own sandwich. He was so smooth. No crumbs fell around the corners of his mouth and I was sure that I had some. I wiped at the corners of my mouth when I finished the sandwich.

"Do you want another one?" He asked reaching over for the loaf of bread again. I shook my head. He began to put everything back in the basket. I picked up my glass and took another sip.

He put the basket to the side and sat down a bit closer to me. I shivered and hoped he hadn't noticed. "Are you cold?" He asked me almost automatically. He looked around and realized he had left my sweater in the front seat of his car.

"No, I'm not cold yet. This is beautiful. I don't think I've ever been here right before sunset." I told him.

"Every time I come with my parents, we always take a walk on the beach right before sunset. It's so beautiful." He said to me. He was extremely close to his parents. "Do you ever miss your mom?""

No one had ever asked me that. Even though I had barely known Edward for three days, I felt compelled to tell him the truth. "I miss her almost every day, but she's happy which makes me believe it's worth it." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I found myself leaning on him.

EPOV:

I knew it was tough for her to admit she missed her mom. I had felt it in every syllable of that sentence. "It's okay to miss someone." I told her.

"I know." It was such a simple response, but I knew there was more to it than that. I had always been with both my parents.

"When Alice left for college, it took me such a long time to adjust to it. I missed her at breakfast and at night. I missed being able to just going into her room and ask her questions." I told her. I knew it wasn't the same, but I hope she could see that I was trying. "Then she started dating Jasper and I felt he was going to take her away from me. It was so hard, but I knew I had to get over it to feel better and to be happy for her."

"I do understand why she married Phil. It's just hard to not miss her." She said. I brushed my lips on her forehead. We sat like that for what seemed like an eternity, but I knew had only been a few short minutes. I felt her shiver and knew it was getting a bit chilly for her.

"C'mon, let's go put the basket back in the car and get your sweater. Then we can take a walk on the beach." I suggested. She began to get up. I folded the blanket and placed it inside the basket. As we headed back to the car, I held her hand.

I turned the alarm off as we approached and she stopped and stared. "Is that car yours?" She said incredulously. I had forgotten that she had not seen it earlier because of the blindfold.

"Yes, my dad gave it to me today as a college student present." I told her. I opened the front passenger door and put the basket in the back and grabbed her sweater. I closed the car and turned the alarm back on.

She put on the sweater once I handed it to her. We headed back towards the beach. She stopped halfway to the water and I assumed she didn't want to get any closer, except she took off her shoes.

"A proper walk on the beach calls for no shoes." She said looked at my feet. I laughed and began to take them off. She was unique. I bent down to take off my shoes and place them next to hers. Once I got back up, I realized Bella was already at the waterline. I ran towards her and she looked back and began to run a bit farther down the beach. I ran faster until I eventually caught up to her.

She was knee deep in the water and once I was within reaching distance she bent down and splashed water on me. I splashed some back at her and we both laughed. I reached her and pulled her into my arms. She rested her head on my chest and we both stared at the sun setting.

"It's perfect. Today was perfect." She murmured. I ran my hands up and down her back. I was in complete agreement.

I felt her shiver again. I looked down at her; she was still facing the sunset. I knew in that second that it would be the perfect moment to kiss her. I stood there, for a few seconds debating that decision and before I knew it my hand was tilting her chin up to have her face me. Her brown eyes stared at me questioningly. I closed mine and leaned down to brush my lips to hers. They were so soft and smooth. I applied a bit of pressure, my hand still holding her chin.

I pulled back and looked at her. She smiled and placed her head on my chest once again. Her hands tighten momentarily around my waist. I leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of her head in response to that and rested my head there taking the moment in.

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A/N:

"Sometimes theres no need for words." I loved this. The last bit of these scene happened to me on a beach in Mendocino, CA. It was nice to write. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did. Leave feedback. Any suggestions for things they want to happen?

Day


	6. Time for Truth Part 1

Chapter Six:

EPOV:

School had started on Monday. It was now Friday, first week of classes were over. I had gone to see Bella every night after I knew she was also done with hers. Unfortunately I didn't have any classes with her, and not once had I seen her walking around campus. I always had to wait until the end of the day to go visit her.

We hadn't kissed since the time at the beach, but I held her hand as often as possible. I sat in her room and watched her type on her computer. I would watch her wash her face sometimes. She complained about it every time.

Her roommate had always found a way to make herself scarce whenever I came over. I was walking over to her room now. I stepped into the elevator. The doors opened a few minutes later and I exited them. I began to walk down the hallway when it hit me that I was on the wrong floor. I headed back to the elevator when I heard a familiar laugh. _It couldn't be_. I kept thinking to myself. I began to head towards the student lounge.

Sitting on a table top was my ex-girlfriend, Tanya. She was talking to three other boys. I didn't understand what she was doing here. I hadn't seen her before, maybe she was only visiting. I decided to head back to my room and call Alice. At that moment, she looked up and saw me standing there. She winked at me and continued her conversation.

Once I got back to the safety of my room, I closed the door and locked it. Emmett wasn't in the room thankfully. I went to my drawer and pulled out my phone. I dialed Alice's number and waited while the phone rang two, three four times before I heard her say hello.

"She's here," I told her. I was out of breath and I had not realized that.

"Who is exactly?" Alice asked.

"Tanya, who else could it be?"

"Why? Is she a student there? Did you talk to her?" She said. "Edward, I'm so sorry."

"I just saw her, and she noticed me." I breathed into the phone. "I thought we had finally gotten rid of her from my life. I'm afraid for Bella."

"Bella, you mean the receptionist at the hotel?" Alice asked. I knew her better than that. I knew she knew that she was more than just a receptionist. "Are you dating her?"

"I sort of am, yes." I answered truthfully. I hadn't asked her officially, but we spent every moment we could together.

"Does she know?" She asked me.

I paused for a few minutes. "No, I haven't had the guts to tell her. I was afraid she would not speak to me anymore."

"Edward, I think if Tanya is going to school there, and you are getting involved with Bella, you need to tell her." She told me.

"I can't." I told her. I couldn't tell my Bella the truth. I was shaking; I could feel the bed moving. "I have to go Alice." I closed my phone before Alice could say anything else.

I took two Advil and fell asleep.

BPOV:

It was a little past midnight and I still couldn't sleep. Edward hadn't come by tonight. I knew we hadn't exactly set a date, but he had come over every night.

I kept pushing the idea that he might have met someone else today away from my head. I wasn't going to jump to conclusions. I kept turning around in my bed. Finally, at almost one in the morning, Rosalie spoke.

"Go to his room, and ask him, Bella." She murmured.

"No, I can't do that." I answered.

"Well, then go for a walk or something, but please stop tossing and turning in that bed. I can't sleep because of it." She told me.

I rose from my bed and headed for the door. I slipped on a pair of flip-flops. I wasn't sure where I was going, but I knew I had to let Rosalie sleep. I headed down the hallway. I reached the student lounge located in front of the elevators. Every floor had a similar one. I stood in front of the closed elevator doors and took a deep breath. I decided in a split second that I would just walk by his room. I wanted to see if his light was on.

Once the elevator reached his floor, I had almost talked myself out of it. I decided to just check because it wasn't going to hurt anybody to look outside his door. I began to approach the room when I noticed a figure asleep outside of his door. I found Emmett asleep, using his jacket as a pillow. I had only met Emmett once when Edward had taken me to see his room. I bent down and pushed a little on his shoulder.

"Emmett?" I asked. "Emmett, are you okay?"

He moaned a little and realized that I was trying to wake him up. "He locked me out." He was slurring his words a bit.

"Do you not have a key?" I asked him. He shook his head. This didn't seem like the Edward I knew. "Did you try knocking?"

"No, duh." He responded to me. He looked so tired. I had a feeling of dread in my stomach about Edward.

"Listen Emmett, why don't you go to my room and sleep on my bed? I'll try and get Edward to open the door so you can come back in the morning." I offered. He agreed and after I repeated my floor and room number to him several times he was on his way.

I knocked on the door. I pressed my ear to the door and heard nothing. I began to rattle the doorknob. Still there was no movement inside the room and I couldn't open the door. I knocked a bit harder again.

It took me almost fifteen minutes before I heard a reaction from inside the room. "Edward, it's me, Bella." I told him.

I heard a muffled from inside the room, "Bella?" I could hear his heavy footsteps come closer to the door. I could hear him fumbling with the door knob and finally it turned and the door opened.

"Hello," I said to him. He looked like he'd been knocked out completely. "You didn't come to see me tonight, I got a little bit worried." I lied.

He pulled me into a tight hug and didn't say anything. "You know, Emmett has been sleeping on the floor outside of your room. Apparently he didn't have his key and someone wouldn't let him in." I looked up at him and saw him staring at the wall behind me.

"Where is he now?" His voice was hoarse.

"I sent him to sleep in my room." Something didn't feel right. "What's wrong Edward?"

He didn't respond, but began to lead me towards his bed. I followed him and climbed in after him when he held the blanket for me. I snuggled against his chest, relishing in the warmth of him. He kept running his hands up and down my back. Soon enough, I fell asleep

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A/N:

Here it is. this is part one and tomorrow part two will be up and everything ill be explained.  
Million thanks to singer1940

and this chapter is going out to "alice cullen" aka lgalina for being able to guess this chapter before I even finished writing it.

day


	7. Time for Truth Part 2

* * *

Chapter Seven: Time for Truth Part 2

EPOV:

I tried to turn around, but something was in my way. I opened my eyes to see Bella cuddled against me. The night before came back to me. Bella was still here. It was a Saturday morning so we didn't have to get up for classes. I looked over my alarm clock and saw that it was only a little past seven. I wasn't sure if I should get up and wake Bella or to just let her sleep. I watched her peaceful constant breathing. Her eyelids began to flutter open.

"Good morning, beautiful." I said to her.

"Good morning to you too." She replied groggily. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit better now that you're here." I replied. I smooth her hair and she closed her eyes. She began to sit up.

"I think you should explain to me why Emmett was asleep on the floor outside of your room." She asked me curiously. I knew she would have to find out eventually. I had hoped for maybe six years down the line when he could hire a bodyguard to protect her, but with Tanya on campus, that seemed like an impossible idea.

"I bumped into my ex-girlfriend yesterday." I said simply. I knew she deserved a better explanation than that, but that was where I began. "I know it isn't a common reaction to hide in your room, especially for me. It's just she's become more like a nightmare.

"She was extremely gorgeous and available and I began to date her. She had never dated someone seriously and I had never either. It wasn't in our nature to do so. Then after a few months, she began to get serious. She was dedicating all of her time to me. She made sure we were together whenever we weren't in school. She'd come over uninvited. Then she told me she loved me. I knew I didn't love her back, so I tried to break up with her. Somehow, she didn't accept it and managed to convince me I was wrong. So I tried it out. Then right before graduation I broke it off for good.

"She tried to kill herself. Her parents kept calling me asking me to take her back. My dad ended up going over there and talked to them. He told them she could no longer be part of my life. I ended up really afraid of a lot of things after that. Then for an entire month, I heard no news from her or her family. I thought that maybe she'd finally moved on so I started dating another girl. Then the strangest things started happening. Someone bashed her car windows in, then one time she went home to find every door opened in her house... I didn't to connect it to Tanya, but then she emailed her and told her if she wanted it to stop, she would have to leave me alone.

"It happened to the following girls until finally Alice convinced me to stay away from dating. She told me it wasn't worth the trouble unless I really cared for the girl. And even then, she deserved to know what she was getting into." I finished talking. I looked at her to see her reaction and saw that she was looking at the floor.

BPOV:

"So that's why Alice warned me." I said softly. This was a lot to take in. I had never been in a relationship before, let alone one that had all this to deal with. I looked over at him and I saw him. I saw his beautiful eyes and I realized that sometimes everything was worth it.

How could being away from him for any period of time not be worth some psychotic ex-girlfriend? He looked so hopeful, but there was something else there too. It was like he knew that I wasn't going to stay. I felt angry towards the stupid girl for being so obsessed, but at the same time I knew why.

I leaned over and kissed him. "Are you asking me to stay?" I asked. He had never really officially asked me out or anything, but it had more of fallen naturally into our laps.

"I'm telling you I'm not the best person to be with, but I'm hoping you'll stay anyway." He said leaning his forehead against mine. I could smell his breath, it was intoxicating.

"I refuse to leave. So she breaks my windows, you'll just have to drive me around. So she breaks into my room, really there are security cameras everywhere in the hallways. I'm not going to be afraid." I replied softly. He kissed me then, softly at first and then with increasing pressure. His put one of his hands on the back of my head and the other grazed my arm.

After a few minutes, even though I didn't want to stop I knew I needed air. I pulled back a little and he understood.

"Thank you," he said. It was simple, but I understood just then that he had mentioned not risking anyone unless he truly cared. I was afraid to hope that he had meant it, but at the same time, trying to stop the hope seemed impossible.

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AN:

I know its short, but i needed this to stand on its own.next chapter will be lighter and happier. review!!


	8. A Date

Chapter 8: A Date

I didn't mean for the title to rhyme.

EPOV:

Bella only left for an hour the day before in order to shower. She had stayed here and kept me company. We didn't leave the room once. Alice called and I talked to her for an hour with Bella sleeping on my chest. Emmett showed up around lunch time to change and shower. He wasn't upset about having to sleep in Bella's room. Bella reported that Rosalie seemed to like Emmett. We both laughed about that. We had unintentionally set them up. Bella had finally gone to sleep in her room around midnight. I had naturally walked her there to make sure she made it okay.

I was waiting in my room for Alice and Jasper to arrive. She had called that morning and asked if Bella and I wanted to go to dinner with her and Jasper. Bella had agreed and asked if we could invite Emmett and Rosalie. I could not see why it would be an inconvenience. So Emmett was now in our bathroom, getting out of the shower.

There was a knock at the door. I walked over and opened it to reveal my Alice dressed in nice slacks and a shiny top. Jasper was standing behind her. Emmett walked out of the bathroom just then.

"Hey little bro, are you ready to go?" She said. I looked over at Emmett and he nodded.

"Yeah, looks that way, Alice. There's been an addition to our plans though. Bella's roommate, Rosalie, and my roommate are going to be joining us for dinner as well." I told her as I shut the door behind all of us.

"Great, Rosalie was really nice." She commented. I had not forgotten about the warning she had given Bella. I knew right now was not the right time to bring that up either.

Jasper was holding Alice's hand lightly as we rode the elevator down to Bella's floor. He hadn't been very affectionate in front of our dad and mom. I guess he was just shy about it all.

I knocked on Bella's door and heard a huge thud come from inside. "Bella?" I felt the panic in my chest. I began to bang on the door. Alice was trying to pull me back from tearing the door down.

After what seemed like an eternity, Rosalie opened the door. I could see one of Bella's shoes on the floor. "Where's Bella?" I demanded.

"She's cleaning up in the restroom. She tripped when she went to get the door. Her hair fell a bit out of place. That's all." Rosalie looked very confused.

Bella came out of the bathroom just then. I went to her and pulled her close. I knew that I was overreacting, but I hadn't been able to keep it down. Bella was just as confused as Rosalie had been. Alice cleared her throat and said, "Are we ready to go? I'm starving."

Since we were all going, I knew we wouldn't all fit in one car. "Alice, why don't Rosalie and Emmett ride with me, and I'll follow you." I told her as we approached the parking lot. She nodded. "Where are you parked?"

"Over in visitor's parking," she said to me. After we agreed to meet right outside the visitor garage we headed our separate ways.

Rosalie and Bella were talking to Emmett about a certain teacher they all had in common. I just listened in. Once we reached the car, Bella climbed in the front and Rosalie and Emmett sat in the back. They kept chatting away. Rosalie was a great flirt; she would lean over and place her hand on his thigh. It was boosting Emmett's self esteem. He seemed to be telling more and more jokes.

Bella looked over at me and smiled. I reached over and held onto her hand. It was incredible how much she had captured my heart already.

"What are you thinking?" I asked her, she seemed deep in thought.

She shook her head slowly. "Nothing really, just how happy I am that we are here together."

"That makes me happy, too. How's work going?" I knew she had taken a few days off at the beginning of the week, but I was pretty sure she had been back a few days ago.

"It's the same as always. I was able to get a raise after your dad left. Apparently, he was extremely happy with my service. Mike is still going on about how I'm sleeping with him." I stiffened next to her. I was really growing to detest that boy.

"Why does he do that?" I asked her.

"No idea. I haven't ever given him a chance. Not once, Edward." She told me. I believed her. She didn't seem like the type to lead somebody on. I had met Mike once outside of the hotel. I remember he kept eyeing my hand that held onto Bella's.

"He'll stop, soon." I promised her. I didn't want her to keep worrying about him spreading rumors. He would stop, even if I had to confront him myself.

She eyed me suspiciously, but didn't say anything. Alice was driving fast in front of us, but I had no problem following her. I still was unsure as to where we were going to dinner. She was headed towards the waterfront, I could feel it.

BPOV:

The minute I saw Alice pull into the front driveway, I knew exactly where we were. Wild Ginger's was one of the best Asian dining places in all of Seattle. I often recommended it to our guests. One of the valet men came around to Edward's side and opened his door for him. Edward handed him the keys and came around to open my door. Emmett did the same for Rosalie.

We met up with Alice and Jasper and headed inside. It was so elegant.

"Hi, Reservation for Alice Cullen, and can you please add two?" I could have sworn I saw Alice slip her money right over the podium.

I guess it wasn't a problem because we were seated in less than five minutes. We had our own private booth that sat exactly six. Alice, Rosalie and I sat on one side of the booth and the guys sat on the other. Our waitress came around and handed out our menus.

After much consideration, we all decided to go with the main entry for the night, young mountain lamb. It was the easiest and was most likely to be the fastest to be served.

Alice kept making conversation with Rosalie. I would sometimes catch Emmett staring at her when she wasn't looking.

"Bella, Edward told me he told you." Alice told me. I knew he had. I had been pretending to be asleep on his chest when he told her. "Doesn't that scare you?"

"No," I responded automatically. "It all seems worth it. I'm sure we can handle anything. I know it." I assured her.

She seemed satisfied and I looked up to meet Edward's eyes. He had been listening this entire time. I smiled back and returned it.

"You're so perfect." He mouthed.

I shook my head and he leaned over and kissed me softly. My heart started beating extremely fast in my chest. I was sure he could hear it because he smiled.

"Someday, I know that will stop. It has to stop." I muttered.

"I hope it never does. I hope that every day, for the rest of our lives, you react the same to my kissing you as you do now." He told me.

Jasper spoke. "There's a guy that know how to woo a girl."

I froze. I hadn't thought about the fact that he might have said the same thing to a million and two girls before me. I knew Edward had sensed the change in me. He held on tighter to my hand.

Jasper seemed to notice he mentioned something out of line, but couldn't figure out what. Alice placed her hand on his shoulder and the worry over what was said disappeared.

Our food arrived just then and a lot of the chatter stopped.

Emmett was the first to begin eating. Rosalie watched for his reaction before she would even touch her food. He smiled at her and she took a bit.

Jasper and Alice were really something else. They didn't do much more than stare at each other and hold hands, but somehow it seemed like it was so much more than that. It caused you to want to look away.

Edward was watching me eat again. I was going to have to break that habit of his soon. When he saw that I knew he was watching he looked away and began to eat again. He was making me feel incredible even thought I knew I didn't deserve it. I was so plain and every time I looked at him or went out with him, he proved how much more than ordinary he truly was.

I finished most of my food. Edward took my plate and placed it over his when he saw that I was done. Alice took those and placed them over her and Jasper's. Rosalie was watching Emmett finish her meal off before handing both plates to Alice. Alice called for our waitress and asked for the check.

We began to head out to the front of the restaurant to retrieve our vehicles. Alice asked Rosalie and Emmett to ride with her, so that left Edward and I in his silver Volvo.

Once inside the car, I reached into my purse to check my phone for any missed calls or messages. I always avoided checking it when Edward was there. Usually when I went back to my dorm and checked it, it was just my mom or Charlie.

I flipped it open and saw that I had over two dozen messages from some unknown number. I froze and looked over at Edward. He looked down at my phone and even without seeing anything; he knew something wrong had happened.

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A/N: Here it is. With a nice little"dun dun dun" moment at the end. Wild Ginger is a fantastic restaurnt, I would recommend it to everyone. I'm going to try and update every day this week because on friday I get to visit my family and friend back at home. And it's very unlikely I'll get anything up for five days of so. Any suggestions? How fast should Edward and Bella go with their relationship?

Day


	9. Worth It

Chapter 9: Worth It

BPOV:

Edward reached over and grabbed onto my shoulders, I hadn't even realized I was shaking until he did so.

He took the phone out of my hands and flipped through the first messages. They all read the same thing. "_You're going to miss it." _

I leaned back onto the seat and took deep breaths until I could breathe normally. Edward kept rubbing my hand. "It's going to be okay." He kept saying, over and over again.

I closed my eyes and willed myself to face him. I knew this might happen. I knew it would happen, so I needed to be strong for Edward. I needed to show him that he couldn't doubt me or my strength.

"It's going to be okay." I repeated after him. "It's going to be okay." I intertwined our fingers and squeezed his hand.

"Are you okay now?" He asked me cautiously. I nodded and took my phone back and placed it inside my purse.

"Can we just go home?" I asked him and he complied. He drove really fast and before I knew it we had arrived. He got out of the car and came around my side to open my door. I stood by him, with his hand wrapped around my shoulders and mine around his waist.

We walked back to my room. We stood outside and he extended his hand out for the key. I handed it to him and he opened my door. "Stay here," he said to me and went inside my room. He checked every part where anybody could hide. After discovering that it was all clear he came back to me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and he wrapped them around my waist. "I don't feel safe leaving you here." He whispered into my ear.

I stood there, debating whether or not I should admit I didn't feel safe either. I wanted to be brave for Edward, but at the same time, the thought of him leaving me made me sick to my stomach. He tilted my chin up and kissed my lips softly.

"Maybe for tonight, I can ask Emmett to come and stay with Rosalie and you can sleep with me." He whispered a solution against my lips. I looked up into his eyes and nodded. He surprised me then by reaching down and picking me up bridal style.

He walked us back to his room, and he didn't even break a sweat. He was so perfect, almost godlike. He had to put me down in order to open the door. He went into the room first and checked it thoroughly.

I came in when he nodded to me. I sat on his bed and began to take off my shoes. I could hear him on the phone with Alice, probably telling her what had happened and asking her to tell Emmett about the change of plans. I sat there and realized I should have taken a pair of my pajamas from my room, but I knew it was too late to ask Edward to go back by myself.

He was standing in the corner of the room, staring at me. "Is something wrong?"

I smiled. "I forgot to bring pajamas when we were in my room." I admitted. He smiled back at me and walked over to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of blue boxers and a white t-shirt.

"Will this do?" He asked me, handing the clothes over.

I nodded and went into the bathroom to change. This seemed so different from the first time I had spent the night in Edward's bedroom. I had to keep reminding myself that it was because he feared for my safety.

EPOV:

I watched her walk into the bathroom. I wasn't sure if she was planning to sleep in the same bed with me or not. Either way, I would respect her decision.

Tonight had been perfect. With the exception of the text messages of course, the evening had gone so smoothly. Alice enjoyed Bella's company and Rosalie and Emmett were hitting it off really well.

The thought of Bella sleeping by herself in that room scared me. I knew Rosalie would also be there, but she was just as weak as Bella. I had never worried about a girl's safety as much as I did now. Bella was really becoming my life. She was becoming the reason I woke up every morning.

Alice had asked me if I was falling in love with her. I had been quick to deny the accusation, saying it was way too early. But now, as I stared at her shoes on the floor, I was beginning to wonder if I hadn't already fallen for her.

I heard the bathroom door creak out and I looked up. She was holding her dress in her hand and looked amazingly sexy in my clothes. I doubted she even realized how incredible she looked.

I grabbed my pajama bottoms and a black t-shirt from my night stand and headed her way. I kissed her forehead as I reached the bathroom entrance. "You can sleep in Emmett's bed if you want." I told her before entering the bathroom and closing the door.

BPOV:

I had been afraid of that. He didn't want me to sleep with him. He had probably begun to realize how much trouble being with me was causing him. He might leave me like he left the rest of his girlfriends. I bent down and picked up my shoes placing them next to Emmett's bed with my dress.

I began to get into Emmett's bed when Edward emerged from the bathroom. He came over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Are you okay, Bella?" He asked me. He brushed a loose strand of my hair as I nodded. He headed for his own bed and climbed inside. He also turned off the light.

After a few minutes of silence, I whispered, "I'm sorry." I didn't think he would hear me, but I heard him respond.

"For what, sweetie?" he asked.

"For causing you all this trouble that isn't worth it." I responded.

He sounded angry when he responded. "What exactly isn't worth it?"

"Me. I'm not worth going through all this trouble. It's okay though, I understand." I murmured.

He turned on the light and sat up in his bed. "What on earth would make you say that?" I could hear irritation in his voice. He was making this a lot harder on me.

"Because I'm just plain and average. I mean, you even asked me to sleep in another bed, when before anything happened, I had been sleeping in your bed with you." I responded.

"Is that what made you think I didn't find you worth the trouble?" He laughed.

I was a bit mystified. "Yes, why else?"

"I only asked if you wanted to sleep there. I wasn't sure how much you wanted to push your personal boundaries." He said simply. "Is it bothering you to sleep there?"

I nodded, afraid to speak really. Or maybe it was that I couldn't speak. He had been worried about my personal boundaries. He was getting more and more incredible every day.

"Come here, Bella. Sleep with me, please." He said.

I obeyed. I climbed into his bed with him. He pulled the cover over us and wrapped his arms around me. One of his hands started trailing my arm, then my hip and slowly my thigh. He grabbed my thigh just then and pulled it over his waist.

"Don't you ever doubt that you're worth it." He said kissing my forehead. He kissed my cheeks, my throat. I was finding it hard to remember to breathe. I had too many sensations to focus on. He kissed my lips just then. I could feel his smile against them before he said, "Oh yes, definitely worth it."

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So Im wondering whether or not Im going to change the rating on this story. I havent decided yet. REVIEW!!


	10. Pushing

So I'm ver sorry that this took me two days to write. I wrote it and hated it and started over. Even now Im not sure how much I like it. But let me know. And thank you for all the reviews that make me soo happy. enjoy!

day

Chapter 10: Pushing

EPOV:

The past two months had really flown by. Bella and I became emerged in our studies. She had to cut back on her time at work. She was now working three days out of the week, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

She was currently sitting on my dorm floor, with four books opened and sheets of paper lying everywhere. She kept biting her pencil. Occasionally, she would put her hair up only to put it back down a few minutes later. She had done this for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour when I reached over and took her hair band from her hands and grabbed her hair up for her.

"I'm sorry, I forget that I do that a lot." She said looking up at me. She rubbed her eyes and I realized how tired she really was.

"Maybe it's time to take a break from those books. It's Thursday tonight, we have all weekend to study." I suggested as I began to massage her neck.

Ever since the text message at the restaurant, more like text messages, Tanya hadn't made an appearance in any of our lives. Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, and Bella and I had gone on a few group dates since the last one. Alice was always the one who chose the place and the rest of us just followed in our cars.

Bella came back to my room late one night after I had just dropped her off at her dorm door.

_Flashback:_

_There was a soft knock. I got up and looked at the clock. It read 1:34am. It was too late for a social call. I looked over and saw the Emmett's bed was empty. Maybe he had forgotten his keys again. He tried to remember them as often as he could since I had explained the situation._

_I made my way to the door and opened it to find Bella standing there in her pajamas. She smiled at me._

"_Can I come in?" She asked softly. "It seems that Rosalie and Emmett have decided... to move onto the next level with their relationship. And they didn't seem to want to wait until no one else was in the room." _

_I laughed at that. Emmett had been spending many nights in Rosalie's room. I hadn't expected them to reach that point so soon. _

_We both climbed into bed and she snuggled closed to me. She was extremely warm compared to me. I pulled her to me as close as she could be and we fell asleep that way._

_End of Flashback_

Rosalie and Emmett were on the right track. Although their train was going a lot faster than mine and Bella's. I hadn't been able to make myself push Bella forward, but I had been wanting to badly.

I had been able to push her boundaries a bit. At first she had shied away from letting me wrap her legs around my waist. Now she did it almost the minute she crawled into bed with me.

I kept massaging her neck until she finally closed her eyes and began to push her books away. I heard her moaning slightly as I hit a good spot. I kept up my good work until she began to get up.

"I'm going to take a shower." She told me. She went to my drawer and pulled out her favorite t-shirt and boxers. I loved seeing her do that. It made me feel like she felt at home with me. She walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

I could hear the shower door open and close, followed by the sound of running water. I began to clean up her books and organize her paperwork. After ten minutes, I heard the water shut off and the door open and close again. I could hear the bathroom sink water turn on.

A few minutes later, I heard a huge thud come from inside the bathroom. I ran to the door and tried to open it. It was unlocked which surprised me for about a minute until I saw Bella laying on the bathroom floor, her lip seemed to be bleeding. I rushed down to her. She began to stand up.

"I was trying to get a better look at my teeth and I slipped. I think I hit my lip on the counter." She explained as I examined the cut. It looked okay, I figured it hurt more than it should.

I kissed her lips just them, running my tongue over the cut lip. It felt like the most natural thing to do. I felt Bella grab fistfuls of my shirt. I could sense that was was tiptoeing to make sure I didn't stop kissing her. We both began to pull away after a few seconds. It was then that I realized she was standing there in my boxers and her bra. I hadn't realized before, but I did now.

I couldn't help but stare at her. She began to blush, but she didn't try and cover herself. She kept holding onto my shirt. I leaned down to kiss her again. This kiss was just as passionate as the first. The only difference was that this time I pressed my hands on the small of her back and brought her against my chest. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I reached below her butt to pick her up. She immediately wrapped her legs around my waist and I carried her into the bedroom.

I sat on the edge of my bed and we kept kissing. My hands kept running up and down her back. Just as my southern region began to respond, logic came into my head and I began to pull away. She kept leaning forward to try and capture my lips again. I wish she would stop trying to make it this hard to stop.

"Bella, my Bella, will you please stop?" I gasped. She pulled away automatically. She quickly got off my lap and began to walk back towards the restroom, fast.

She slammed the door and I began to panic. I couldn't think of anything I had done wrong. Then it hit me, she had realized that I had pushed her too far. She was probably angry at me for not stopping it sooner. I had taken advantage of the situation and now she was in the bathroom upset with me.

I got up and began to talk to her through the closed door.

BPOV:

I sat on the ground, crying. He had pushed me away. I knew he hadn't really wanted me. I had tried to push our boundaries a bit farther and every time he never went farther. He would always stop at the same exact invisible line.

Then he had come in here, trying to fix my cut lip. He had kissed me, licked my bleeding cut and I felt like it was all in my head. Once we both realized I still didn't have a shirt on, I thought I had seen passion in his eyes. He put his hands, cold hands compared to the warmth of my body and pressed them on the small of my back. He pressed me to him. I could feel everything. I could feel his muscles and his strength. Then Edward picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I began to feel movement below me and I knew he was responding. It felt wonderful to know he was responding to me.

We went and sat on the edge of his bed. I could definitely feel his member now. It was hot pressed against the thin material of his boxers. It felt so right, even though I knew I would be able to go much farther than just kissing. Then he began to pull away. At first I thought maybe he was trying to lay down on the bed, but then he began to plead me to stop.

I froze for a second before the rejection flooded through me. I ran, as fast I possibly could to sit here in the bathroom floor.

I heard Edward's footsteps approach the door. "Bella, darling, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry I let it get to far. I'm sorry I pushed you too far." he said. He kept repeating it over and over again.

I wasn't sure if I should believe him. He had always been looking out for me, to make sure I was happy. But I had been responding so I wasn't sure why he had stopped. I sat there for a few more minutes, until Edward gave up.

"Bella darling, when you're ready to talk to me, I'll be sitting out here." He said quietly.

I knew at some point I would have to go face him. I stood up and pulled his shirt over my head. I splashed some cold water and opened the door. Edward was sitting on the floor in front of the bed. He had this pained look on his face and I realized that I had caused that.

I went to him and sat in front of him. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I just didn't want to push you too far." He said again.

"Push me too far?" I asked incredulously.

He looked up at me. "I've been wanting to go there for a few weeks Edward. But you seem to be pulling away from me." I answered when he didn't say anything.

He stared at me and began to kiss my cheeks, my eyes, my jawline. I began to stop him. I had to make sure. "Why did you stop? Is it because you don't want me in that way?"

He laughed softly. "My sweet sweet Bella, I want you in every way."

He held my gaze the entire time. His arms snaked around my waist and pulled me into his lap so that I was straddling his waist. His hands began tugging at the bottom of his t-shirt and he pulled it off me. I let him, I needed the proof that he wanted this. He began to kiss my neck never going below my shoulders. I moaned a little when he began to kiss my jawline. I could feel his tongue on the rim of my ear. And then finally, his mouth was on mine again.

"Do you still doubt I don't want you in that way, Bella?" He asked. "There's still one more way I can prove it." he grounded his member against my lower half. I knew he responded to me. "I don't want to hurt you, but I think we both know that we can't go any farther than this tonight. I need to stop in order to keep that under control."

I nodded. I agreed and understood. It was for the good of both of us. I began to reach for my shirt. He grabbed my hand. "Don't, please. Sleep with me, just like this."

I obeyed and we both crawled into bed. My back was facing him, his hand kept trailing along my arm. Soon he began to hum a tune for me. It was unfamiliar, but it did it's job. I had fallen asleep before I knew it.


	11. You Are Going to Miss It

_Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the reviews. This chapter may be a little off in parts because my lovely beta wasn't able to read it since I wanted to post it before I got my butt on a plane this morning. Please leave me tons of reviews to come back and see! Someone asked me a really good question, is Edward A virgin or not? Lemme know what you think. I'm still unsure. I will try and update on Saturday. But for sure something should be up by Wednesday. I will definitely keep writing while I'm away. So I no matter when I do get around to posting, I may post two chapters at once or something. Anyway, have a great weekend!_

_Day_

_PS. I know this is really long, but there's a poll. Lemons or no lemons! PLEASE vote! _

_PPS. I really loved this chapter. _

* * *

**Chapter 11: You're going to Miss it**

BPOV:

It was now the beginning of October, and time seemed to be flying faster than we both realized. I had forgotten our one month anniversary until Alice had called us both that evening and wished a happy one month. We just stared at each other and laughed. School was really taking over.

Tanya hadn't been heard from since her text message appeared on my phone. A sense of calm was settling over us. Maybe Tanya had decided to just leave us alone, or maybe she had found someone new to fall in love with. Edward avoided mentioning her whenever possible, although he still had the habit of going into a room first, before allowing me to go in. I had become used to it, so I no longer even tried to enter a room until he did his inspection.

I opened the door to my dorm and walked outside; making sure that it was locked once the door closed behind me. I made my way out of the building and began to head towards the parking lot. I opened my purse and dug for my phone. I dialed Edward's number and waited while it rang.

After three times, he picked up. "Hello beautiful."

"Hey, I'm on my way to work. Just wanted to see how your day has gone since I probably won't get to see you tonight." I told him. I was on my way to work an evening shift.

"Why not? Emmett told me him and Rosalie were going to go camping before it became too cold. So no one will be here tonight, you could always come sleep here again." He mentioned.

I never knew if he asked because he wanted me to be there or because he was afraid of something happening to me in my own room. I felt guilty since I had paid for my own dorm room, but I spent more time in Edward's than my own. "I have no reason to disagree." I said. I knew that no matter the reason, I would always be there if he wanted me there.

"Okay honey, have a ton of fun at work. Don't miss me too much." He said.

"I'll miss you every second I have to be there. Bye." I replied easily.

I entered the parking lot building and headed for the third level. I was putting my phone away in my purse when I stopped in front of an empty parking spot. I stood there for a second. I was positive that I had parked my truck here. I finished looking down the row and didn't see my truck in this aisle. I went around to the other aisle and nothing. I knew I had parked in the third level.

I went up to the fourth and still no car. I began to panic just then and started searching for my phone again. I pressed the talk button twice and waited for Edward's voice to pick up.

It rang once, twice, three times and no answer. His voicemail picked up. "Hey you've reached Edward, leave a message after the… beep."

"Hey Edward, can you please call me back. I can't find my car, and I don't know if I'm remembering correctly where I had left it. I could really use your help." I said. "Okay, thanks."

I began to head down to the second level when my phone began to vibrate. I was so happy Edward called back so quickly. I flipped it open only to see a message waiting to be read. Within seconds I received another. It kept doing that over and over again for about a minute and half and it stopped. I was afraid to open it. The only person who ever left me a text message was Edward. I knew that if Edward was near his phone he would be calling me back, not texting me 30 times.

I began to shake as I fell to the floor. Then the phone began to vibrate again. I dropped it before realizing it was just Edward. I scrambled to pick it up. "Edward," I said breathlessly. '

"Honey, what's wrong? Is something wrong? Did you get into a car accident?" He threw all the questions at me. I couldn't tell him what was wrong.

"I'm next to the elevator on the second floor of the parking garage." I told him.

"I'm on my way." He told me before hanging up the phone. I sat there. He was coming for me. He'd be here in no time. I knew it. He had to be.

It seemed like hours before he arrived, but according to the clock on my phone had only been a few short minutes.

"Bella, darling, what's the matter?" He said kneeling before me. He put his hands on either side of my face and pressed his forehead against mine.

"'You're going to miss it.' My truck, Edward, it's missing." I cried.

"Are you sure?" He asked me and began to look down the aisle.

I handed him my phone and he saw that I had 34 unread messages.

"Have you read any of them?" He asked me, knowing the answer. I shook my head and he opened one of them.

You're going to miss them.

All the messages read the same. The message was almost identical to the previous one, with the exception of the word _them._

EPOV:

I knew Bella was frightened. I couldn't believe Tanya had managed to steal her car. I began to dial 911 and explained the situation to the operator.

Within minutes, police cars had arrived. A few were campus cops and others were city cops. Bella managed to compose herself and explain where she remembered parking her car and what it looked like. I spoke to an officer and explained to him my situation. I even told him about the restraining order that had been placed.

All the officers promised to stay in touch and try and get the truck back. I began to walk Bella back to our building. I had already called her job for her and her manager had seemed extremely concerned. I promised she would call him back and explain the situation in further detail.

Once back inside, she simply just sat on the bed. She hadn't spoken to me yet which made me nervous. I wish I could read her mind, just so I could see what was really going through it. It was breaking my heart to see her so afraid of everything.

"I have to call my dad and tell him what happened." She said out of the blue. She stood up and walked over to me where I stood by the dresser. She wrapped her arms around my waist and began to cry into my chest.

I stroked her hair and just let her. I knew she needed to let it out. It hurt each time I heard another sob escape her beautiful lips. I kissed the top of her head; I stroked her back until all of it stopped. I bent down and picked her up and placed her on my bed. She got under the covers and opened them for me to step in. I removed my shoes and climbed in.

I kissed her nose, her cheeks and finally her lips. "I'm sorry, Edward." She said simply.

"For what?" I asked. I had a moment of panic, was she going to end this now?

"For not being able to contain that, I was just surprised." She responded. "I thought she'd moved on."

"It's okay, baby. We're going to handle this. I'm not going to let her hurt you." I promised her.

"I love you, Edward." She told me for the first time. Her eyes were staring up at me. I leaned my head down and kissed her.

"I love you, too, my sweet Bella." I told her honestly. She kissed me again and snuggled close to me. I held her safely in my arms for the rest of the night.


	12. Charlie and the Missing Truck

the real chapter 12 i hope you guys enjoy this one. It was a bit of fun to write!  
okay so im starting this new thing where for everyone who reviews, they get a quote from the following chapter before the chapter is out.

SO review.

Chapter 12: Charlie and the Missing Truck

BPOV:

I woke up to the sound of my phone vibrating. I wasn't sure where it was in the room, but with the complete silence I could hear it. I tried to get out of the bed to locate it, but Edwards arm had me trapped to his chest. I tried to move it, but it was a worthless effort.

"Edward, I need to get up, my phone is ringing." I told him.

He mumbled something that I couldn't understand, so I tried again. "Edward, please wake up."

He opened his eyes and look at me and then the clock. "It's six o'clock. Whoever it is better have damn good reason for calling so early." He kissed my cheek before letting me go and turning over to fall back asleep.

I stood up and picked up Edward's phone from the nightstand and dialed my number. I could hear it vibrating on the floor. I got on my hands and knees and found it underneath Emmett's bed. I opened it and looked at my last missed call. It was from Charlie, my dad.

I looked over at Edward and walked into the bathroom so he wouldn't hear the conversation. I hadn't had the guts to tell Charlie or Rene about him yet.

"Bella? Where are you?" I heard my dad say when he picked up the phone. That seemed like an odd question.

After a second, I realized he was on campus, probably at my dorm door, wondering why he daughter wasn't in her room. I began to panic. "What do you mean, dad?"

"Your truck is parked in the driveway and you aren't in your bed!" He exclaimed.

"What?!" I yelled into the phone, forgetting that Edward was asleep. In less than four seconds he was already knocking on the door.

"Bella, is everything okay?" He said as he knocked again and tried to open the door. It let him in and Edward came in to see me standing in the middle of the tile floor, pacing.

"Who's that?" My dad asked curiously.

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't say Edward was my friend or roommate since he was in the room, but I definitely couldn't tell my dad the truth. So I told him about my truck. "My truck as stolen yesterday. Except I don't know if it's considered stolen if its sitting in the driveway of my home."

Edward's face looked shocked. He walked out of the bathroom. My dad asked about Edward again. "He's a friend who has been helping me look for the truck. I'm so glad it's there!"

After a few minutes, I agreed to come out today for it. I walked back into the room and saw that Edward was on the phone. By the sound of it, it had to be Carlisle. He looked worried which wasn't making me feel too great. He finished it up.

"Carlisle is going to talk to Tanya's mother today. He wants to see if maybe she knows what's going on." He explained to me.

I then told him about my truck being at my dad's place. I knew I needed to head over today, but I didn't understand how to tell Edward that my dad didn't know he was my boyfriend. I wasn't sure if he had heard the friend comment. I had waited until Edward had left the room.

"Well, when do you want to leave to pick it up?" he asked.

"I don't want to make you go all the way out to Forks. I think I'll just ask Rosalie." I replied.

"I think your boyfriend would be less of a hassle then asking Rosalie. I already love you enough to take you. You don't know if Rosalie does." He said simply. How could I tell him? I knew then that I just couldn't. He had told his family about me and I couldn't even tell my dad when he asked.

"Okay, let me go change and we'll meet at the garage." I said, I wanted to call Charlie and prepare him for meeting Edward.

EPOV ( Parking Garage)

I had heard when Bella had mentioned I was just a friend. It had hurt, but I knew that by being her first boyfriend this was going to be hard for her to tell her family. I had been able to tell Carlisle and Esme because Bella was the first to have ever meant this much to me. It made my parents happy to know that.

I saw Bella walking towards me in jeans and blue tank top with a gray sweater over it. It wasn't cold yet, but it was getting to be really chilly. She came up and hugged me. It looked like she had been crying.

"Hey, is everything okay?" I asked. I finally realized that maybe she was still upset about her truck being stolen. I kissed her forehead.

"I told my dad about you. I didn't tell him about Tanya, but he didn't take the news so well. It was better than just showing up, I guess." She confessed.

I didn't say anything. I just hugged her and eventually we moved inside the car. I held her hand as she pointed me in the right direction. The entire trip to Forks she kept staring out the window. I could tell she was nervous.

"Maybe, I'll just stay in the car." I suggested. It would make things less awkward than if I went inside her home with her.

"No, I'm sure Charlie will want to talk to you." She responded. We had just entered the little town of Forks. She began to point out places and houses. She named a few names of people she knew and went to school with. I listened to everything she said.

She told me to turn on the following street and finally she pointed to a house next to the forest. It was small and I could see a police cruiser sitting in the driveway next to Bella's truck. I hadn't told Bella about the fact that Tanya must know where her parents lived. It scared me, and I wasn't sure if I was ready for it to scare her just yet.

I parked behind a car in front of her house. I stepped out and went around to open her door. Her face seemed brighter than just a minute ago. She grabbed my hand and began leading the way to the door. She gently pushed the door opened and the sound of male voices could be heard.

She walked into the living room. "Charlie?" On the couch sat two older men, while a teenage boy was leaning against the wall.

"Bella!" he said. She let go of my hand and walked over to give him a hug. I felt a twinge of jealousy. "Charlie called us to tell us you were going to be coming."

"Jacob, you've grown more than half a foot since I last saw you. Another growth spurt, that's no fair." She told him. I cleared my throat.

"Oh, everyone this is Edward, my boyfriend. Edward, this is Charlie, my dad; Billy, Jacob's dad and friend of my dad's; and Jacob, my best friend." She told me. I had never heard of Jacob before. If he was such a great friend, why hadn't she mentioned him once.

I extended my hand and shook both Charlie's and Billy's. I hesitated before shaking Jacob's as well. If he meant a lot to Bella, than I knew I had to stay on his good side.

Charlie coughed and Jacob jumped as though he just remembered something. "Hey, Bella, can I show you something?"

She agreed and began to follow him out the door. How convenient, I thought to myself.

Charlie cleared his throat and I turned around to face him. I knew I would have to eventually. Especially since Bella was his only daughter.

"Why don't you have a seat, son." He told me. I obeyed. "How long have you and Bella been together?" He asked right away.

"Since the week before school started, sir." I responded. I wanted to say more, but I also didn't want to push his buttons.

"And your intentions?" He asked.

I had always heard that parents would ask this question, but I wondered if any boy had ever said, 'I'd like to sleep with your daughter, sir.' It just didn't make sense to me. I told him the truth. "I love spending time with your daughter. She brightens my day and gives me something to look forward to at the end of the day. She's extraordinary."

He looked at me, trying to see if I was honest. He kept asking questions and I was surprised Bella was taking so long. I wondered whether she knew that Charlie was doing this. Billy sat there the entire time, nodding occasionally to Charlie. Finally Charlie asked a question about her safety. I responded, "I'd die to keep her alive."

Both Billy and he looked straight at me and realized how serious I was and the interrogation seemed to conclude there. Billy rose from the couch and made his way out to the front door. A moment later Jacob and Bella appeared behind him. She walked straight to sit next to me and I smiled at her. She smiled back and seemed to take that as a good sign.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. Charlie was polite to me and I was pleasant. Billy and Charlie began to watch a football game on the television and we decided it was time to head back. Bella hugged her dad and Billy. I shook both their hands and walked out the door behind Jacob and Bella. Once we reached her car, Jacob hugged her and kissed her cheek. Bella pulled back, looking a little confused. I wondered if he had ever done that before.

She climbed in her car and I went and got into mine. Jacob stood in the driveway and watched us drive away. I followed Bella the entire way back to Seattle. She drove slower than I did, but I didn't mind for once.

BPOV:

It had been such a pleasant surprise to see Jacob. We hadn't really talked since I left for school, and I hadn't even thought about seeing him. Charlie seemed a lot more content with Edward in my life. I assumed it was a father thing. They had to always interrogate their daughters boyfriend to see if they were good boyfriend material.

Edward must have handled it nicely because both Charlie and Billy seemed okay with it. It was a good afternoon. We talked about school and Jacob talked about his senior year. It had all ended when the football game started and both Billy and Charlie stopped paying attention.

Jacob had surprised me though. He had kissed my cheek, something he had never done before. The farthest we had gone physically had been hugs. We both found it disgusting. We were practically brother and sister. We grew up together, although he lived in La Push, which as about twenty minutes away.

I looked into my rear view mirror and saw Edward's silver Volvo following my truck. It was probably frustrating him that I was going so slow. I looked my gas meter and realized I was almost on empty. I was positive that Edward was no where near empty. I saw the next exit and proceeded to follow it.

He turned off where I did. I pulled up to the gas station and got out of the car. Edward pulled up to the pump next to mine and did the same. I pulled my bank debit card out of my wallet and swiped it through the machine. After entering all the information it needed, I waited for it to give me the okay. It flashed declined on the screen and I tried it again. I could hear Edward finishing up filling his tank. It flashed declined again.

That didn't seem right, I knew I had enough money in my account. I tried one more time, making sure every number I punched in was correct. Edward came up behind me and he saw when it flashed declined a third time. He took his credit card and swiped it through the machine. It accepted his card and he began to pump fuel into my truck.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with my card. I'll pay you back, we'll just need to stop by the bank on the way home." I kept telling him until he pressed his lips to mine.

"I'm not going to take your money. Let me do this for you. I want to fill up your tank, makes me feel manly." He teased. I smiled and kissed him back.

"I'll make it up to you, promise." I swore to him.

"Good, you can be my love slave. I think forever should repay this." He joked. I laughed which was what he wanted. The pump clicked and he began to put it away.

"Did my dad give you a hard time today?" I asked.

"Not at all, I'm sure Carlisle had the same talk to Jasper when Alice brought him home. I think I passed with flying colors."

"You did. Charlie wouldn't have let you stay otherwise." I told him. We began to walk toward the driver's side of the car. He opened the door and let me slide in before leaning in to kiss me.

"That's good. It means he'll allow me to visit you during our breaks. So you'll have no chance to miss me." He kissed me again. I leaned forward and kissed him back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him to me when I knew he would have pushed away. I had missed this all day.

Finally, I allowed him to pull back. "Maybe we should save that for when we're alone, in a room, okay? I wouldn't want to embarrass myself in front of everyone here at the gas station." He pecked my lips and closed the door.


	13. Halloween

Chapter 13: Halloween

Chapter 13: Halloween

EPOV:

"I don't want to go." I heard Bella's refusal again coming from the room. I smiled, she had said those same words since Alice had called and told her about the party.

Alice, being her usual self, decided to throw a huge party for Halloween. We had to dress up of course and Bella had not liked the idea at all. We went shopping for outfits, but I could not get Bella to become enthusiastic about it at all.

We had finally decided to go with Superman and Superwoman outfits. It was one of the only costumes that Bella didn't seem to make a face about. She was sitting on my bed all ready to go, but kept taking off her red boots.

"Bella, do this for Alice. I know you really like her. She tells me about all of your phone calls." I told her again. I had repeated these same sentences over the past two weeks. I never thought that Bella would be so difficult about parties. She seemed to be afraid of them.

BPOV:

I didn't want to attend Alice's party. The only thing that made me feel better was that Edward had promised not to leave my side once during the entire thing. Rosalie and Emmett were going as well.

Edward came out of the bathroom in his Superman outfit. I looked up and him and giggled. He looked hilarious standing there in it. I stood up and wrapped my arms around him; the boots were definitely going to work in my favor when it came to kissing Edward. They gave me a three inch boost in height. It was easy to kiss Edward's neck. I felt the shivers run along his spine. Maybe I could seduce him into not going.

He began to pull away as that thought formed in my mind. "Stop, we need to get going or we'll be late. I'd hate to see what Alice would do to us if we were late." He pretended to shudder at the thought. Alice was likely to have our heads put on a platter if it wasn't illegal.

He grabbed his keys and opened the door for me. I grabbed the camera Charlie had gotten me for my eighteenth birthday and headed out the door. I didn't say anything and hoped that my silence was showing Edward how much I did not want to go to this party.

We had been driving for about an hour when I asked, "Where is this party going to take place?"

"At one of our summer homes," He replied casually. Just outside of Forks he pulled into an almost invisible driveway. It was illuminated for a few orange and black lanterns that lead the way right to the doorstep of the house. It was a beautiful home. It had many open windows where I could see that many people had already arrived.

He parked the car and came around to open my door as usual. I crossed my arms in front of me and looked away from the passenger window. I did not want to go in and make a fool of myself in front of all the people that were sure to come.

"Bella, come on, you've already come all this way." He told me, he put his finger under my chin and easily managed to move my face to look at him. "Why are you so afraid to come in?"

"I will fall. I am bound to spill something on me. Edward, every time we spend time together, it's by ourselves or with Alice and Rosalie. We never go out in front of a lot of people. You don't know how embarrassing it is to fall when walking across a flat surface. Plus I can't dance. I'll just wait here. Can you leave the keys so I can listen to the radio?" I extended my hand out for the keys.

He grabbed my hand and yanked me out of the car, locking the car door before I had a chance to react. "We're going inside. And I'll keep a hold on you the entire night. I won't let you fall, I promise." He whispered in my ear. I closed my eyes in defeat. I knew that he was going to win no matter how much I really didn't want to go.

Alice opened the front door and waved at us. We began to march up the steps, Edward had his arm snaked around my waist. He was already keeping good on his promise. I smiled over at him and he smiled right back. I knew it was going to be a long night, but at least Edward would be by my side every single moment.

(A Few Hours Later)

The entire first floor of the Cullen summer home was crowded with people. Edward and I had been able to walk around earlier, but now we found it nearly impossible to even get across the room. I was really thirsty, but we still hadn't been able to make it to the punch bar.

Alice had gone to the extreme. The entire inside of the house was covered in orange and black lanterns. The dance floor seemed to take over most of the place. People were even dancing on the staircase. Against one wall there was five extremely long tables covered in different flavored punches and sandwiches and other creative foods. There were huge barrels filled with candy throughout the entire place. I had never really gone to such a huge party. Then again, I had never really hung out with people that were practically rich. Although Edward didn't talk about it much, I knew money meant nothing to him.

Edward had kept good on his promise and never left my side. I didn't know if he liked to dance, so part of my felt guilty and the other part didn't. Edward used any excuse to place kisses along my neck. We had spotted Rosalie and Emmett dressed up as football players during the first hour of the party. They barely even spoke before disappearing on the dance floor. Alice had dressed up as a cavewomen and Jasper matched her.

Edward stood up and began to lead us out the front door. I sighed in relief. It was getting stuffy in there and I really wanted some fresh air. He hurried down the steps and stopped right in front of his car. The entire driveway was now packed with cars. I didn't know one person could know so many people.

Edward pulled me close just then and pressed me up against his car. He kissed me passionately. It wasn't something he did in public. I kissed him back, eagerly now. My hands slid up his chest while he brought me closer to him. I could feel every touch. I could feel the heat coming off his body, or was that mine? I could feel his hands on my back, my legs that wanted desperately to be wrapped around his waist. Finally, we both stopped to breathe.

"Wow," I said softly.

"I'm sorry. I had wanted to do that all night." He placed each of his hands on the side of my face. "Can I take you somewhere?"

I could never deny him. "Yes, you can."

"Wait right here, I'll be right back" He walked back towards the house. Instead of going into the house, he walked into what seemed to be a garage. A few minutes later he came back with a large flashlight and smaller one that he handed to me. He also carried a bag.

"Take your shoes off, Bella. Put these on. He handed me a pair of white running shoes from inside the bag. He also pulled out a sweater for me. I put them on and began to wonder where we were headed exactly. I didn't ask because I knew I could trust Edward. I just went along with it all.

He began to lead the way towards the edge of the forest that surrounded his house. He began to lead the way, looking back at me every so often to make sure I was still following. After what seemed like hours, he stopped and waited for me to catch up.

"Come, Bells, just a little bit more." He told me. I was glad. I didn't know how much more I could handle. He extended his hand to help me up to where he stood.

We walked forward into a clearing. It was a beautiful small meadow. The moonlight lit it up nicely. Edward let go of my hand as I walked towards the middle. I circled it once before meeting Edward again, who was now lying down on the grass. I sat facing him.

"It's so beautiful, Edward." I whispered. I was afraid to speak any louder. I didn't want to break the magic of this place.

"It's my meadow. I come here to think and read. It's very special to me." He answered just as softly. I kept looking at him until he pulled me to lie beside him. He ran his hand along my spine and I wrapped my arms around his chest. I could hear him breathing. I began to match my breathing to his.

"Who else knows about this place?" I asked him.

"You," he replied.

I took a deep breath before taking in that information. He had just shared something extremely important to him. Something so important that not even his sister knew about. I knew we were getting serious.

"Why me, Edward?"

"Because Bella, you've become my life. Haven't you noticed? I can't go a single day without being near you. I don't know what I would do if I had to be away from you for more than twenty-four hours. I would die if anything were to happen to you." He told me as he sat up and stared straight at me.

"You're my life, too." I replied as he lowered his lips to mine. He was taking his time, kissing me. I was in no hurry either. We had forever to do this. I relished in the fact that I was going to be in his arms for the rest of my life.

"Do you want to go home, Bella?" He asked me seriously when he was done kissing me.

"I want to be wherever you are." I replied breathlessly.

That was the last thing we said for the rest of the night. Edward pulled the last thing in the bag. It was a large blanket which he spread on the grass for us to lay on top of. I fell asleep shortly after, and both of us didn't wake up until after dawn.

* * *

A/N:

SO here it is. Sorry I waited until almost the next day to post it. I pretty much slept all day. I was really tired. I hope you guys enjoy this because it's gonna get a bit... unhappy from here for awhile. It's time. SOO HAVE FUN and review. Did you guys like the quote thing? I'm sorry if I didn't get everybody, I tried though. So I'll try it again this chapter and I guess we'll see if its going to be a working thing or not.

Day


	14. Memory Loss

Chapter 14: Memory Loss

Edward POV:

It was early afternoon in November. We had about two more weeks before we were to go on thanksgiving break. That seemed like a good excuse for teachers to hand out tests the same week. It made me wonder if they all had a meeting and came up with certain weeks to give out tests.

I had received a phone call earlier from some friends back at home about a party. I was excited to tell Bella. I wanted to introduce her to my old friends. She was currently at work and I was waiting for her to come home.

We hadn't discussed what we were going to do during the holidays. My family wanted to meet her, but I wasn't sure if she needed to be with her dad the entire break. I also knew that her mother lived in Florida so I wasn't even sure if she was going to be in the state.

Just then there door opened and there stood Bella still her in work clothes and on the phone. She seemed to talk to either Alice or Rosalie. I sometimes wondered if she ever talked to her friends from home, or if she even had any to contact, but I never asked. A few minutes later she ended the call.

She leaned over and kissed me in greeting. I pulled her to sit down next to me and placed my chin on her shoulder.

"What?" Bella asked me.

"What do you mean what? I just want to be close." I responded. Sometimes she knew me better than I thought.

"Sure. That's the same look you had on when Alice asked you to prepare me for the party." She froze for a few seconds. "No more parties, you promised."

I laughed. It wasn't one of Alice's parties, but she was still afraid. "It's a small get together actually. Some of my old high school friends, really small."

She looked at me, "When?"

"Saturday before Thanksgiving," I replied. I was hoping that her asking meant that she was giving in.

"Oh Edward, I can't go really." She said as she looked over at me. It looked like something had dawned on her. Maybe she was actually going to Florida. "I have to work that entire weekend. I'm going to be the only supervisor on duty. I really can't go even if I wanted to."

I understood. I knew her job meant a lot to her, so I nodded. "That's fine, baby. Maybe some other time, okay?"

"You still have to go, Edward. I wouldn't want you to miss that simply because I'm not going to be there. Plus, I think I might be spending the night in the hotel." She told me.

I thought about it for a second and realized it would be best if I went. I would at least be home for the holidays for a few days before Bella headed home. "Okay, I'll go, without you, only if you promise to come see me during break."

"How is break going to work for us? I'm making thanksgiving dinner for my dad, so I need to be there that day." She told me.

"Okay, how about spending the day before with my family? My mom really wants to meet you." I asked her tentatively. I was still unsure if she was going to try and see me during the break.

"That sounds great, Edward. It'll be fun." She said softly.

"Can I spend Thanksgiving at your place? We don't do much at home. My dad tends to cover the holiday at the hospital. He says he rather everyone else spends the holiday with their families. He can celebrate Thanksgiving with us any other day." I replied. It was true. My dad had always been a generous man.

"Of course, that would be perfect. Billy and Jacob might even join us! It could almost be a real dinner." She exclaimed. I didn't ask her about the last bit, but figured it would eventually come forward.

So it was set, we had made plans for the break and I was going to meet some friends for the weekend. It was going to be a great break.

Page break

Current Date: Saturday before Thanksgiving

I pulled into the only available parking spot on the entire block. Part of me was extremely glad that Bella hadn't been able to make it. I was sure this was going to be much bigger than a small get together.

I began to walk up the steps of my friend Ben's house. People were mingling in his front yard and I made my way inside. It felt so different from any of the parties I had been to before. Nothing was different, though.

Everything was just as crowded as always. There was extremely loud music playing somewhere in the living room and people were dancing like always. I bumped into Ben, while he had a girl pinned to his waist. The girl looked familiar.

"Hey, dude, you made it!" Ben yelled at me. We were only a few feet away, but I could barely hear him. "This is Angela. Where's your girl?"

"She had to work, so I came alone. Where are Andrew and the rest of them?" I asked.

Angela spoke next, "You're the one dating Bella, aren't you?"

I nodded; she must have been someone I had seen around with Bella. Maybe she was a student in one of my classes. I wasn't sure. Ben then pointed in the direction of the basement and I headed down that way, knowing that my friends were down there.

They were playing pool and drinking punch. Andrew poured me some and handed it to me. I began to take a sip.

"How's school been, dude?" Andrew asked me. Andrew ended up not attending a college and chose to work this year instead.

"Good good, I met a girl." I told him. He rolled his eyes and asked a bit about her. We talked for a few minutes and then I was invited to join in on a new game of pool. It had been a long time since I had been around guys. I realized that I had been spending all my free time with Bella. I was glad now that she hadn't come. I needed a night out with the guys, if only to clear my mind of what was happening with Tanya.

Several round of pool later, and a few glasses of punch, I began to make my way upstairs. I began to feel like the room was moving and I wasn't exactly sure why. I climbed the stairs all the way to his second floor. I entered what was used as a guest room and sat down on the edge of the bed.

I was sure now that the punch was spiked. I hadn't noticed because I was used to the taste of alcohol. I knew that I couldn't drive home like this. I had been better at being intoxicated. I guess that since it had been months since I had last had anything to drink, I had forgotten how to handle it all.

I laid back on the bed and closed my eyes. I heard the door open and close. I wasn't sure if someone actually came in or just opened to see if anyone was in there. I kept my eyes close to try and fight of the headache that I knew was coming. After a few more moments, I was sure no one had come inside the room. I could hear no movement.

Then I felt the bed move a bit. I opened my eyes to the back of Tanya's long blonde hair. I sat up and she turned around to face me. Her eyes were bloodshot; I assumed she had been crying. I was a sucker for tears and she knew it.

"I just want to talk, Edward. Please, let me talk to you." She pleaded me. I simply nodded. I was beginning to feel a bit dizzier than earlier. "I miss you so much, Edward. I hate that we can't be together. I wish you loved me back."

I laid back down on the bed and she proceeded to lie next to me. I could feel her fingertips roaming my chest. Part of me knew that I had to stop her, but the other part was responding to her touch.

"Why her? How could you fall in love with her? I tried so hard, wasn't I pretty enough?" She asked me. I could feel the buttons on my shirt give away. "Edward, look at me darling."

I turned over and looked at her eyes. She looked so sincere. She leaned in and placed her lips on mine. I froze for a second before responding. In the back of my mind, I knew this was wrong. I wanted to push her away, but I couldn't find the words or the strength to do so.

"Maybe this is a bad idea, Tanya. Bella, I can't…" I couldn't finish the sentence. Tanya had begun kissing my neck and chest. It was becoming hard to form sentences.

"No, she won't know. It'll be our secret, darling, our dirty little secret." She whispered in my ear. I felt her cold fingers traveling south on my body. The room began to spin in earnest now and then the room went dark.

Few Hours Later:

I woke up and felt someone next to me. I reached over and pulled her closer. I took a deep breath and the familiar freesia scent that belongs to Bella didn't come. I looked over and saw the blonde set of hair and it all came back to me.

I had gotten tipsy and Tanya had wanted to talk. I couldn't remember how far we had gotten, but I knew enough to guess. She was sleeping soundly next to me in a shirt. I knew that for sure. I got up out of the bed quickly and threw my clothes on.

I found my keys on the nightstand and began to make my way out of Ben's house. I climbed into my car and drove for almost an hour. I was in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't believe the mistake I had just made. It was the biggest mistake of my life.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Bella's cell phone number. It rang and no answer. Finally it went to voicemail. I remember she had said she was going to be staying at the hotel. I dialed information and asked to be transferred to the hotel. The receptionist asked me for the guest's name.

"Bella Swan." I told her. I was transferred. It rang a few times before I heard Bella's sleepy voice on the line.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hey my love, it's me." I told her. Could she hear the shaking in my voice

"Hey. Is something wrong? It's three o'clock in the morning." She asked; her voice was getting clearer.

"No, I just really missed you and wanted to hear your voice." I replied. It was true.

"Are you drunk?"

"Not really. Maybe a little." I was being half honest with her. That had to count for something.

"Okay, we'll just get some sleep so you feel better in the morning. I really need to get back to sleep. I have to be up at seven." She informed me.

"Okay. I love you so much, Bella."

"I love you just as much, Edward." And then I bid her goodnight. I had no idea what I was going to do. So I just sat there, in the middle of no where inside my car. I kept hoping for an idea to magically come into my head.

* * *

AN:

Sorry but I think Tanya is evil enough to take advantage. Hmm. I changed the chapter name for those of you who got the quotes at the beginning. Next chapter will called the title that was meant for this one. Did you like the review and get a quote thing? Let me know. Oh and about the lemons, since it won by a landslide. There will be two types of chapters. Plain lemony chapters that can be skipped if you dont want to read them, and for those three who didnt want them, PM me and when I include lemons in important chapters, Ill PM you edited chapters.

Day


	15. Photograph

Chapter 15: Photographs

Bella's POV:

Edward had been calling me constantly. Sometimes he would interrupt dinner between my dad and I. It had begun to bother my dad a bit. We had only been apart for two days. It was now Tuesday morning and I would be going over to see Edward and his family tomorrow.

Charlie had mentioned that Jacob kept wanting to see me, but since Billy wasn't exactly up for travel, that I should go to La Push. I got up early and made breakfast for Charlie. I left it in the oven so it would still be warm when he woke up. I stepped out the door and got quickly into my car. I turned it on and waited for the heater to warm up the truck. It was getting extremely cold.

The drive to La Push wasn't too long. I was pulling up in Jacob's driveway and it looked like they were all still asleep. I walked up the steps and knocked. I must have stood out there for twenty minutes before I decided to go back to my car and call him from my cell phone.

The phone rang four times before a sleepy Jacob answered. "Hello?" he mumbled.

"Hey come open the door for me sleepyhead! I'm freezing." I teased him.

"You're here, Bella?" I looked up and saw him looking out his window. "I'll be right down!"

I got out of the car and began to walk up his porch steps again. He quickly opened the door and let me inside.

"Billy is still asleep. Are you hungry?" He asked eagerly. I shook my head and sat down on his couch. He sat next to me and we began to catch up.

"So how did you meet Edward?" He asked me curiously.

"It's really funny. We don't have any classes together and we live on different floors so we probably should never have met. Well my boss asked me to give him a personal tour of the campus back in August. His dad is a V.I.P. Guest at our hotel." I explained to him.

"So he's a rich kid? Where does he live?" I hated the way he made the rich kid remark. It made it sound as though I was only with him for that.

"His dad is currently living in upper Washington. He's a doctor." I replied ignoring the first comment.

"How is school going?" He asked sincerely. He seemed to have heard enough of Edward.

"It's fantastic. I'm doing really well in my classes. It's more time consuming, but I've gotten used to it by now."

We kept talking about school. He caught me up on what his friends had been up to. Quil and Embry were his two closest friends. I had met them two summers ago. We all fit well together. I probably spent more time in La Push than I ever did in Forks.

Before we knew it, it was almost noon and Billy rolled into the living room. "Hey Bella."

I greeted him and he disappeared. He always did whenever I was here. He would always mysteriously reappear right before I left.

"Bella, make lunch for us." Jacob asked me. He had gotten used to me doing so every time we were together.

I made us lasagna and we kept talking.

"Do you love him?" Jacob asked out of the blue.

"Yes, Jacob. I love him so much. He's there for me all the time. And he's so understanding. He doesn't push or shove. It's fantastic. He's so respectful, Jacob."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "I just asked if you loved him, not to tell me every good deed he's done!"

We laughed. He asked another question. "Do you ever doubt him?"

"No," I responded almost too quickly. "What I mean is, there's no need. We spend all of our time together. There's no opportunity for him to do it. I don't think he would. He seems happy with me."

My phone starting vibrating then and Jacob rolled his eyes. I pulled it out and saw the caller ID. It was my job. I mouthed that to him as I picked up the phone. "This is Bella."

"Hey Bella, it's Angela." Angela was one of my co-workers. She had been hired a few days after school started and covered the shifts I had to give up in order to keep up with school.

"Hey, is something wrong at the hotel?" I asked. I couldn't think of why else she would call.

"Not exactly. I needed to tell you something. I went to this party on Saturday. Edward was there. Um, I don't think I could really tell you this. He was with somebody else. A tall blond skinny girl." She said.

A million things ran through my head.. Edward couldn't have been cheating on me. No it wasn't possible. She was mistaken. Someone who looked like Edward was at that party. "Are you sure it was Edward?"

"Yes, he even said he was dating you." She replied.

"I don't believe this. Edward isn't the type to do that." I argued with her.

"I know. I emailed you some pictures that Andrew had on his camera. I wasn't going to mention anything, but when I saw these pictures I knew it wasn't fair to you." She told me.

"Thanks Angela. I'll look at them in a few. Bye." I hung up quickly.

I turned around to look at Jacob who was staring intently at me.

"What's wrong Bella?" He asked me as he walked towards me. "You're as pale as a ghost."

"Do you have Internet on your computer?" I asked and he nodded and lead the way to his room.

I quickly jumped onto the chair and typed in my email website. A few minutes later I saw the email Angela had sent me. I opened it and waited while the images loaded. One by one they began to pop up. Edward laying in bed with his eyes closed in a bed. A tall blond on top of him kissing his chest, the next one kissing each other lips and finally the last one was of them sleeping on the bed, holding each other.

I hadn't realized that Jacob was standing behind me until I heard, "That fucking bastard is going to pay, Bella."

I didn't know what to do. My breathing stopped on its own. Jacob was holding me tightly in his arms and I was speechless. Then the tears began to run leak through and I started sobbing. Jacob picked me up and sat me in his lap. He rubbed my back as I sobbed my heart out. The fact that Edward had cheated on me was finally sinking in.

* * *

AN:

For clarification, Jacob and Bella will not get romantically involved. I love Jacob, as her best friend. Nothing more than that. I'm Team Edward all the way. Sorry. But just so you guys dont want to kill me later. But as her best friend, especially of like forever he was goign to comfort her. My best friend has time and time again.  
I'm sorry. But I promise this will get better.

REview and get a preview quote.


	16. Bleeding Love

Chapter 13: Halloween

SO sorry about this taking two days to upload. First off someone very special came to see me as a surprise yesterday and took me to Six Flags. It was nice. So yeah, I had trouble writing something sad, because in the original one I wrote, she breaks up with him. But I thought it was better for her to think it over.  
ENJOY!  
Day

Chapter 16: Bleeding Love

Bella's POV:

I called Alice while Jacob called Charlie. I asked Alice for directions to get to her house, my excuse: I wanted to surprise Edward.

Jacob agreed to drive me over and since it was still early we could make it back. He told Charlie that he was going to take me hiking and made sure it was okay with him if I spent the night at his house. Of course, it was. He trusted Jacob.

I handed the paper where I had written the directions on to Jacob and went to get my cell phone off of his kitchen counter. We walked to his car and he made sure I got in okay.

"Bells, are you sure you want to do this?" Jacob asked me as his put the key in the ignition.

"Yes, What else am I supposed to do? Wait until tomorrow and tell him at his parents thanksgiving dinner?" I spat at him.

He nodded and turned the truck on. He didn't say much on the way, but I could see him throwing glances at me.

EPOV:

The phone started ringing. I didn't rush to answer it because it was usually for my parents. The house phone rarely rang for me. That's why I was shocked when my mother came upstairs telling me to pick up the phone. It was for me.

"Hello?" I answered.

Tanya's voice came on the line. I felt the angry immiediately run through my body. "Hey honey."

"What the hell do you want?" I yelled.

"I just wanted to warn you. She knows." It was simple.

"Why you little..." she cut me off.

"Sorry, but this time I didn't do anything. Angela sent her the pictures. Andrew was dumb enough to show them to her. I had other plans, but I guess I had underestimated the strength of their friendship." The line cut off then. I started to look around for my keys. I needed to be with Bella and explain everything to her. She had to understand.

I ran downstairs and into the garage. I drove over 80mph. The sooner I got to Bella the sooner I could make her understand.

BPOV:

It was supposed to be a three hour drive, but Jacob said we could make it in two. I still couldn't believe what I had seen.

It explained so many things. It explained the strange phone call I had received from him the night of the party. It explained why he constantly reassured me of how much he loved me. It explained why he called so often and said he missed me so much.

All the pieces of the puzzle fit together so perfectly it made me feel a bit stupid. I was blinded by the love I had felt by him. I was stupid enough not to see it.

Jacob turned off on the following exit. I hadn't even noticed that we were almost out of gas. We both got off once he parked the car and I began to pay while he pumped the gas.

I started to head back to the passenger door when I noticed the silver Volvo parked two gas islands over.

EPOV:

I drove in silence. Eventually I turned on the radio and tried to lose myself in the music, but it seemed all the songs were out to get me. They were all about love. I felt like such a jerk. I couldn't understand why I had let myself sleep with Tanya. I had never done anything that stupid before. Even when I went to those parties and got drunk.

I knew then I should have just told Bella the truth from the start. It would have made everything so much easier. Then she wouldn't have seen those photographs. I knew that would have torn her up inside. She was the most emotional person I knew. She felt everything, love, compassion, happiness. I wish I had been by her side and been able to hold her and whisper I loved her.

I hated Tanya for this. She knew that everything else wouldn't stop Bella from being with me. She knew that this would hurt her and cause a break in our relationship. Bella had never made love with anyone before, I knew that. She also didn't know that I hadn't either. Well, until Saturday, I had been a virgin.

I decided to pull over and put some gas in my car. I pulled out and into their parking area. I looked over and saw Jacob. He was putting gas into her truck. I pulled up to a gas island and stepped out of my car and I saw Bella standing there staring at my car.

She looked devastated. If it was possible to make my heart break worse than it already was, the look in her eyes caused just that.

BPOV:

I couldn't stop starring at how amazing he looked. He looked sad, confused; I couldn't pinpoint the emotion. He was a terrific actor. I wanted to clap.

But staring at him, it reminded me of how much I had missed him in the past few days. I heard Jacob coming around the truck. He had noticed Edward, too.

"Just say the word, Bella, and he'll no longer able to walk." Jacob whispered as he came closer to me. I knew Jacob would do it. I just shook my head and walked towards Edward.

Jacob stayed there, leaning against the truck. Edward walked towards me as well, slower than I was.

"Hi," I said simply. How was one supposed to start something like this?

"Hi, I think we should talk." He said so quietly that I was wondering if I had imagine those words come out of his mouth.

I nodded. We needed to talk. He grabbed my hand and began to lead me to a picnic table on the side of the gas convinent store. He picked me up by my waist and set me down on the table and he sat on the bench below me. Once again he grabbed my hand, this time he kept it close to his face.

"I'm so sorry." He said.

"I know."

"Bella, it was a mistake. I was drunk and I hadn't realized that the punch had alcohol. Of course, I should known better, but somehow I didn't. I don't even remember it, Bella." He told me.

I kept searching his face. It looked so honest, but I couldn't trust myself to believe him. Even if it was an accident, he slept with someone. That fact alone was breaking my heart more than I ever thought possible.

"Who was she?" I asked, not wanting to know, but wanting to know so much at the same time.

"It was Tanya."

That knocked the breath out of me. I must have made some sort of gesture to cause him to worry because he was now standing. He kept touching my face trying to make sure I was okay.

"Say something, Bella." He ordered me.

"It's obvious. She's better than I am. She's a blond. I mean, how can I compete with that? It's understandable." I replied softly.

"Understandable? Bella, you're my soul. You are the only one who's ever held my heart. There's no competition." He argued. "I love you. I'll make this all up to you. I'll work at it every single day for the rest of our lives. I'll grovel, I'll get on my knees and beg. Just keep me, don't leave me, Bella. I can't live without you." He was begging.

It was tearing my heart in two. On one hand, I wanted to stay with him and ignore the fact that he had slept with someone else. I wanted to get our happily ever after, but I knew that somewhere in the back of my mind I would always doubt him if I simply forgot. The other half wanted to yell and scream, throw things at him, but I knew I'd never be able to do that.

"I have to think about this. I need some time alone. I can't just decide on the spot, I'm sorry." I told him as I got up to leave. If I stayed much longer, I'd be wanting to stay forever.

"Okay, Bella. Take all the time you need." he said and began following me.

EPOV:

Jacob made his way towards us and stood between Bella and I. It allowed her to get in the truck and close the door.

"You rotten bastard, you should have been there. You should have seen the look on her face when she saw those photographs. It broke her heart. I've never seen her like that before. How could you? Just leave her alone." Jacob warned me softly, so Bella couldn't hear I was sure.

"Let her decide that. You can't know what she's thinking. It was mistake, a stupid mistake that I'll spend the rest of my life regretting. Trust me, I know exactly how much damage I've done." I argued back, best friend or no best friend, he wasn't going to shoot me down like that.

I walked off to my car and watched as Jacob and Bella sped away in her truck. I knew she needed the space, but I hoped she would be able to forgive me. I loved her. I needed her in my life.


	17. Thanksgiving at the Cullen's

Chapter 17: Thanksgiving at the Cullen's

EPOV:

Bella should have been coming over to thanksgiving dinner today, but she wasn't. It was my fault. She hadn't called and I hadn't dared called her. I knew that she needed her space to think, but I hope that Jacob wasn't persuading her to leave me. I needed Bella more than I had realized until recently.

It was incredible how much she had begun to mean to me in the few short months since we had been together. No other person had ever gotten this close to me and yet I found myself wanting to spend the rest of my life with her, something that had scared me off before.

There was a knock at the door and I prayed it wasn't Alice. I didn't think I could deal with her tonight. She had been trying to cheer me up and it made me wonder if Bella had already told her.

"Come in," I said. My dad was the one who entered. He was tall and handsome and often was mistaken for my brother rather than my father. I envied him. He loved my mom from the start and I was sure he had never cheated on her.

"Son, we need to talk." He told me as he took a seat at the computer. "Your mother and Alice are worried about you. We've never seen you like this over a girl. Do you want to talk about it?"

My head kept saying no, no I don't want to talk. I want Bella back, but I knew I needed to talk.

"Sure, dad, we can talk." I told him.

"What happened?" He asked, getting straight to the point.

"Bella and I are on… a break, I guess you could say." I answered honestly. I was going to tell my dad the entire truth, I trusted him.

"Okay, why is that? If I remember correctly, Alice was always saying how you two were joined at the hip. Why the change?" He asked quickly.

"I went to Ben's party last week, remember dad?" I began. "I went there to hang out with Andrew. Something I drank must have contained alcohol, I didn't notice. I got a bit too drunk to control my actions. Tanya was, all of a sudden, in the room. I guess it's like they say, 'one thing led to another.'" I looked at the floor. My dad didn't know I had ever had anything to drink.

"Well, and Bella found out how?" He surprised me by overlooking that small fact.

"One of her friends was at the party, too. Well someone took some pictures and sent them to her." I explained. I remembered the words Jacob threw at my face. I wish I had been the one to hold Bella when she cried. It tore at me to even think about the fact that I had made her cry.

"And you found out she knew how? Did she call you?" He asked. He wanted to get all the facts before telling me what he thought.

"Tanya called and told me she didn't think her plan would work so easily. She hadn't counted on Andrew showing the pictures to Angela." I decided to finish without him asking. "I decided to drive out to see her, and I assume she was on her way to see me because we found each other at a gas station halfway between us. After letting me talk, she told me she needed time to think. So I'm giving her space."

Carlisle Cullen seemed to ponder that for a bit before he gave me advice. "Well, it seems like you really care. If she loves you, she'll see it was just a mistake and take you back. You might have to work extremely hard to make sure she can trust you again. If you love her enough, you'll work everyday for the rest of your lives to make sure she forgives you. It just sounds too fishy though. Are you sure you slept with her?" He asked.

"Yes." I answered automatically.

"100 sure?"

"Yes, well… No, I don't remember if that's what you mean." I told him. It was true; I couldn't remember much of the night.

"Then maybe you didn't get as far as you think. Look into it, Edward. Don't take Tanya's word for it. She's never been honest before has she?" He asked and walked out of the room. He had given me a lot to think about. I knew I was going to have to find out if anyone else could prove Tanya wrong.

Thanksgiving dinner was always prepared by my mom. She did all the grocery shopping and then spent all day in the kitchen cooking. She took the time to prepare us all sandwiches for lunch so we wouldn't go all day without eating.

I could smell the turkey from my room. I decided to go down stairs and investigate. I walked past Alice's open door and saw her and Jasper in it. She was on her computer and he was watching television, but they were having a full conversation at the same time. I would never understand them.

I reached my destination and found my mother muttering to herself about a cranberry sauce.

"Hey mom." I told so I didn't scare her. If I were the reason she dropped anything in the kitchen, I'd be on her bad side all day.

"Hey Edward, did you need something?" She asked me while stirring something in the pot on the stove.

"No, I just wanted to see what's cooking." I told her as I planted a kiss on her cheek. She was half a foot shorter than me and always hated that.

"Well, dinner about to be served, darling. Are you okay?" She asked as she finally looked over at me.

"Yeah, I'll be okay." I told her. It was almost the truth. I would be okay if Bella wanted to stay with me. If she didn't then, I would be hurting for a long time.

My mom smiled. "Okay well, can you go tell everyone that dinner is going to be ready in a few so they can wash up?"

I nodded and left the room and headed upstairs to let them know that dinner was ready.

Once we were all gathered at the dinner table, my mom began to place all the food trays in the center of the table. My dad got up and helped her bring the turkey. He then began to cut it. It was always a tradition. Jasper and Alice were leaning onto each other. It made me ache for Bella and I wished she was here.

My mom was passing along the mashed potatoes; I almost dropped them since my mind kept wandering to thoughts of Bella.

After filing my plate beyond capacity, I began to dig in. The sweet potatoes were delicious, the turkey was just right and, of course, dessert was perfect. My mom had done another excellent job on the dinner.

Alice was talking with my dad and Jasper about her change in major, again. It seemed that that was also a tradition. Alice had already changed her major every year since she started high school. Today was going to become a journalist. Jasper just held her hand a smiled. He knew that Jasper truly loved her. No one else would be able to put up with someone so annoying.

Alice looked over and smiled at me. I smiled back. "So what's your major, Edward?"

I still hadn't been able to decide. My parents were in no hurry to push me. They were always giving us our space to make our own choices and mistakes. "Undeclared."

Alice laughed. "Yeah, sounds great Edward. Tell me how life turns out with that."

"At least, I'm not the one constantly in the advisors office asking to change my major. I bet they know you by name." I defended myself.

"Okay, kids, settle down." My mom interrupted our spat. I loved Alice, but like brother and sister we did get into our arguments.

We continued eating and making small talk. Towards the end of dinner, I heard the doorbell ring. My mom got up and went to answer it. Alice kept staring at me and my dad as if we were going to all of a sudden jump up and say, 'oh I had forgotten I invited so and so for dinner!' We looked just as clueless as she did.

When my mom walked back in, she was followed by Ben and Andrew. Both of them looked upset. Ben looked angrier than Andrew, who looked half scared. Ben looked around the table and immediately looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen; I didn't mean to interrupt dinner." He told my parents.

My dad leaned back in his chair. "Oh no, it's no problem, Ben. Are you boys' hungry? There's enough to share."

"No, Mr. Cullen. Thank you. We actually need to talk to Edward for a few minutes. It won't take more than that, I promise." He told my dad, looking straight me. I began to excuse myself from my chair.

We walked toward the staircase and Ben stopped me. "You might want to hear this outside so you're parents don't find out."

We all walked out the front doors and stood on the porch of my house. "Okay, what's up?"

"Andrew, here, has something to confess to you. Something that he should have told you from the start. Go ahead Andrew, we're all ears." Ben pushed Andrew forward.

Andrew straightened up and shot Ben a death glare. "The pictures were a set up. Tanya gave me this powder and asked me to put it in your drink. I did. She eventually texted me and asked me to come up and help her with a little project."

It was all beginning to click my head. Tanya had drugged me. It made sense; I couldn't taste the alcohol because the alcohol wasn't there.

"Why, Andrew? I thought we were friends." I told him. I felt betrayed by him.

"Dude, she gave me this story about how you left her. How she was with you this past summer, and you left her for Bella. She cried. She told me she just wanted to blackmail you with the pictures, I wasn't expecting for Ben's girlfriend to know your chick." He admitted.

I knew Tanya could seduce anyone. She had done it for so many years. I didn't want to blame Andrew because I knew this wasn't his fault. But yet, I was still extremely mad at him. Forgiveness would come slowly for him.

There was still one more thing I wanted to know. "How far did it go?"

"Not very far, you passed out after a few minutes with her. I think she said you had barely begun to kiss her when you collapsed. She wasn't strong enough to try and make you do anything." He told me.

Ben spoke next. "I heard him on the phone with Tanya, telling her he couldn't do her any more favors. I asked him what he meant by 'any more'. He told me then and I knew that I couldn't just stand around and let her get away with this."

"Thanks. I need to go. Family dinner, I should get back. Thank you for telling me the truth. I really needed to know." I was grateful for having Ben as a friend. I knew I would always count on him to have my back.

Ben and Andrew began to walk towards his car. I headed back inside full of hope this time. In a few short minute I decided that tomorrow, I would stop by Bella's for thanksgiving. I was going to share my good news with her.

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A/n: So I hope this makes a lot of you happy again. I LOVE THANKSGIVING. REVIEW!


	18. Confessions of Jealousy

I didnt do many of the preview quotes. I got really busy yesterday. So I decided to just post the chapter instead. i'm sorry! I hope y'all enjoy the chapter anyway.

day

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Chapter 18: Confessions of Jealousy

BPOV:

Edward hadn't called. Part of me was extremely glad that it was that way because the other part of me knew that if he called and pleaded I'd give in. I wanted him back, I just wasn't sure if I could handle what happened.

I had tried my best to keep a happy face on, but yesterday Charlie had noticed something. Yesterday had been the day I was supposed to go to Edward's and meet his parents. It hurt to know that because he had cheated on me, I wasn't able to meet them.

Jacob had been a big help. He had come over every day and taken me out of the house so that Charlie wouldn't suspect and so that I could get distracted. He even offered to take me cliff diving. It was something I had wanted to try, but Jacob had said no and never changed his mind after that.

I had refused because it was too cold to go cliff diving. Jacob had been amazing. It made me feel bad for neglecting him once school started.

Charlie had invited Jacob and Billy over for Thanksgiving dinner. I had barely woken up, but I knew I needed to get started on dinner or nothing would be ready by the time Billy and Jacob made it here.

I grabbed a clean pair of jeans and blue t-shirt and headed for the bathroom. I closed the shower door behind me and turned on the warm water, letting it help me forget my troubles. I closed my eyes and leans my head forward so that the water sprays would hit the back of my neck and my back. The warm water felt so good. I didn't know how long I had been in there until Charlie started banging on the door.

"Bella, are you okay?" He barked through the door. I shut off the water.

"Yeah, Dad, I'm fine. Just forgot about the time." I yelled back. A few seconds later I heard his footsteps heading back toward the living room downstairs.

I put on my clothes and ran a brush through my hair. In the Swan residence, there was never any need to dress up for special occasions. Charlie hated dressing up about as much as I did. So holiday dinners were always casual things. Except an exceptional amount of foodwas made, and that always seemed to please Charlie.

I headed downstairs and threw in my dirty clothes in the washer and went to Charlie's room and gathered his clothes as well. Once the load was started I proceeded to the kitchen. Charlie had gone with me to help pick out an extremely large turkey. I knew it was more than enough for the four of us to have four servings each. Charlie really enjoyed his leftovers.

I pulled what I needed from the cupboards and turned on the oven.

After a few hours when everything was already baking, cooking or already prepared, we heard a knock at the door. Jacob and Billy were here already. I made my way to the front door and opened the door and saw Jacob holding flowers and what looked like dessert in his hand.

"Hey, these are for you." Jacob said handing them to me.

"Hey Bella," Billy said as I leaned down to hug him. "Where's Charlie?"

"Living room, I think the game is about to start." Billy began to make his way down the hall towards the living room. Charlie hadn't left the room since morning. And the only thing that was going to get him out of there was food, which wouldn't be ready for a few more hours.

"What about you, Jake?" I asked him, knowing full well his answer. "Are you going to watch the game, too?"

"Nope, I'm going to help you out in the kitchen. Maybe we can even take a walk." He hugged me and we headed towards the kitchen after shutting the door.

He sat down on one of the chairs at the table and I took the pie from his hand and placed it in the fridge. I had made a few homemade pies as well, but I wouldn't tell Jacob that. I opened a cupboard and tried to reach for a vase that was on the top shelf.

Jacob got up and grabbed the vase without any trouble. It was dusty so I washed it and began to add water for the flowers. It was unlike Jacob to buy me flowers, but then again I had a feeling I had been very unlike myself all week.

"So what's with the flowers?" I asked him.

"Thought they looked nice." He shrugged.

I laughed a real laugh. I realized it had been days since I had done that. It felt good. "Seriously, what's with the flowers?"

"My dad thought they might cheer you up. It worked didn't it. You just laughed." He admitted. Billy had always been a gentleman.

"Yeah, true, they did make me laugh because it seemed so silly that you would bring me flowers." I told him.

"So, how about that walk?" he asked me.

I made sure everything in the oven would be okay and lowered the flames on the cooking pot. I didn't want the gravy to come out too thick. I knew we wouldn't be gone long. Jacob didn't like me out near the woods too long during this time of the year.

We walked for a few minutes into the forest. He stopped and sat on the top of a fallen tree trunk. We were still in plain view of the house and would be able to see if anything happened while we were gone.

"How are you feeling, Bells?" Jacob asked me. It was such a sincere question. I looked at him and realized that this heartbreak wasn't only taking it toll on me. My best friend was hurting, too.

"I'm going to be okay, Jake." I leaned over and playfully pushing my shoulder into his. "I'm a strong girl; I don't let guys get me down."

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" He asked seriously. I knew he had been wanting to ask me for a couple of days now, but I didn't think he would get the guts to do it so soon.

"Yes, Jacob. I think I'm going to get back together with him. I can't imagine him having…" I choked on the word. He nodded and I knew he understood. "With this girl Tanya, she's been making our lives miserable. She stole my truck and drove it out here. I think she knew that Charlie might overreact when he met Edward. I guess she didn't expect Edward to be so likeable." I smiled remembering that day. Something else hit me, a question I had wanted to ask him.

"Hey, Jake, can I ask you something and expect an honest answer?" I asked him.

"Yeah, anything you want," he responded.

"That day, when Edward came with me, and you and Billy were here. When you walked me to the car, you did something you had never done before." I implied.

He looked clueless. I continued, "You kissed my cheek, remember?"

His eyes widened with realization. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Why did you?" I wanted to know if he had feelings for me, so I could stop that immediately if that was the case.

"C'mon, Bella. Even you can figure that one out. It's that obvious." I swallowed when he said those words. I had been right, he liked me.

"Jake, it's not going to happen, you know. I'm sorry, I really do love Edward." I told him softly. I wanted to hug him, but I wasn't sure if it was a great idea.

He had that confused look on his face again. "Come again, Bella?"

I tried again. "I don't like you like that. You're my best friend and you always will be, but it can't be anything more than that. I'm truly sorry. I'm sure you'll find some nice girl once you go off to college."

He surprised me by laughing. It was big loud laugh. It looked like he could barely breathe. After a few minutes, he slowly stopped laughing and looked over at me.

I gave him my most serious stare. "Care to explain that?" I didn't enjoy being laughed at.

"You think I have feelings for you?" He asked me.

"Yes, you said it was obvious. I should have noticed it sooner." I replied.

"Bella, I do not have romantic feelings for you. When I meant it was obvious I was talking about something else." I didn't say anything, waiting for him to continue. "I'm jealous. I feel like I was traded in for Edward. I mean, you go off to college and you rarely call and when you do it's like a minute long phone call. I was jealous that he was replacing me. It's always just been us, Bella. It's never been anyone else. So I kissed your cheek so you'd realize I was here. So that Edward would know I'm special, too."

I wanted to smile. My Jacob was jealous of Edward. I knew he was right in being jealous, I had in a way begun to neglect him. I had been joined at the hip to Edward and in a way he had replaced what Jacob meant to me.

"I promise that I'll call more and come down to visit you more often from now on. I'm really sorry for not paying attention." I swore to him. "If I ever do that again, call me, and yell at me for a very long time."

"I promise. I'll call you until you answer and not let you hang up until I've had my fill of you." We stood up and Jacob wrapped me up in a bear hug. I enjoyed feeling his warmth, especially in the cold weather.

"I think we should head back." I suggested.

"I agree I'm starving." I rolled my eyes. It was so like him to do that. Jacob ate more than anyone I had ever known.

We began to walk back towards the house and entered it through the back door. Jacob went to the living room to check on Charlie and Billy and I went into the kitchen to make that the food was okay.

The door bell rang again. I began to walk towards the door when I noticed that Jacob was right behind me. I pulled open the door and stood frozen when I saw who it was. I felt Jacob tense up behind me and I put a hand back to make sure he stayed where he was.

Edward Cullen had shown up for dinner, just like we had planned.


	19. Thanksgiving with Bella

Here it is, the chapter you've all been waiting for.

Chapter 19: Thanksgiving with Bella

EPOV:

I had talked to my dad last night and explained to him what Andrew had done. I was so happy, I knew that Bella would be too once she realized what had really happened.

I had a smile on my face and nothing was going to be able to take it off. I had stopped by a florist on the way to Forks to pick up a dozen of red roses for Bella. I was going to make sure that for the rest of our lives, she knew just how much I loved her. Even though I hadn't done anything, the fact that I didn't know what I had done made me feel guilty. I was going to make it up to her.

The florist smiled at me as I began to look through all the flowers they had. I knew exactly what kind of flowers I was looking for. I wanted red roses, so red that the color stained your finger tips. I finally found them. They were perfect. I knew she would love them.

The clerk bagged them for me and offered to have them delivered. I told her I was going to deliver them on my own. She smiled pleasantly and handed me over the flowers while she swiped my credit card. A few minutes later I was out the door.

The drive over to Forks seemed longer than it probably was. I kept glancing at the clock and it seemed that the minutes were ticking by ever so slowly. I pulled over once to refill my tank and found myself waiting in line to pay since the credit card machines at the pump were down.

I turned the radio on so that the music could distract me. I had begun writing a new piano piece. It was the second piece I had ever written, but I was very proud of it. I couldn't wait to finish it so I could play it for Bella.

Just the thought that I would be able to hold her in my arms and know I had never been with anyone else made me hopeful. It made me excited. It made me truly happy. My dad had smiled and said, "I knew it." It had been a simple response, but I knew deep down I couldn't be with anyone else but Bella. No matter how intoxicated I was.

I began to sing along with the fifties tune that was playing on the radio. I exited the highway and entered the small city of Forks.

I drove down the quiet streets and it worry began to invade me. What if she wasn't there? What if she decided to go to Florida to visit her mom or down to visit her friend Jacob? What if she used Jacob's arms to comfort her and it lead to something else and she realized she no longer wanted to be with me?

I parked the car outside her house and sat in the car looking for some sign of life inside the house. It looked like the light in the living room was on, but I couldn't tell. In the driveway Bella's truck was parked along with Charlie's cruiser. There was another car parked in front of the Swan's residence. I knew it to be Jacob's car and I knew that they all must be inside eating dinner.

I imagined Bella smiling as Jacob handed her the mashed potatoes. It was that thought that got me out of the car. I wasn't going to let Jacob take her without a fight. I walked up the front steps and knocked on the door.

After a minute, the door opened and I came face to face with Bella. Her expression was frozen; I could see shock and something else I couldn't read. I felt nervous. I could see Jacob fighting to remain in control of his emotions.

BPOV:

Edward stood there with a ridiculous smile on his face. Part of me wanted to punch him and the other part of me was flatter. Edward handed me the roses. I turned around to see the look on Jacob's face. He looked about ready to throw himself at Edward.

Charlie called out just then. "Who is it, Bella?"

Edward answered before I could even respond. "It's only me, Officer Swan. Bella had invited me for dinner, if that's alright." Edward began to lead the way into the living room.

Jacob and I were dumbfounded. We walked into the kitchen and he began to ask me why I had still invited him. I began to wash the clean dishes. I needed something to distract me.

"I had invited him before the..." I couldn't bring myself to say it. "I assumed he would know it was off since that happened."

"Bella, I'll throw him out. I promise." He began to march back into the room. I ran after him.

"No," I hissed. We walked into the living room to find Billy, Charlie and Edward sitting on the couch discussing the games statistics.

I pulled Jacob back into the kitchen. "We can't kick him out. Charlie likes him and it seems has made up his mind to have him over for dinner. I guess we just have to play nice."

Jacob nodded and we began to set the table.

Once Jacob told Billy and Charlie that dinner was ready, they all sat down at the table. I was forced to sit between Jacob and Edward, since Charlie didn't know what was going on between Edward and me.

The conversation between my dad and Edward flowed continuously throughout the entire dinner. Jacob kept trying to steer the conversation away from Edward, but it all seemed worthless.

"Charlie, do you remember the time Bella decided to learn to ride a motorcycle?" Jacob interrupted one of Edward comment's about the game.

"Yes, very clearly," Charlie said and then faced Edward. "Did you watch as--?"

"Bella learned to ride a motorcycle?" Edward seemed shocked as he looked over at me. He put his arm around the back of my chair.

Part of me was falling for his charm, and the smaller part of me was fighting back. I was growing tired. His act confused me. I didn't know if he was trying to torture me or he was truly being himself. "Yes, I did. I broke my arm."

Jacob nodded and decided to stop trying to change the subject. The rest of dinner went smoothly and Charlie and Billy left the rest of us in the kitchen to clean up. I began to put away the food when Edward started to rinse the dishes.

Jacob looked at me meaningfully, but it wasn't until he stepped on my toes that I realized he wanted me to go and talk to Edward.

"I think Jacob can handle the dishes, Edward. We should talk." I said and began to walk out of the house. I knew this wasn't a conversation I wanted Charlie to overhear.

I wasn't sure if Edward had followed me out as I sat on the porch swing. It wasn't until I felt his weight on the seat next to me that I knew he had. WE sat quietly for a few minutes. I didn't want to be the first to break the silence.

He cleared his throat. I looked over to find him smiling. He was really beginning to confuse me.

"Bella, there's something I need to tell you. Yesterday, we were having our early thanksgiving dinner when Andrew and Ben showed up for dinner." He paused looking at my face for a reaction. I was just as confused as always. "Ben and Andrew have grown up with me. They were also at the party on Saturday."

That didn't really clear anything up for me. I was getting impatient. "What do they have to do with you showing up here today? I thought you figured you would be uninvited when you cheated on me."

He smiled and leaned over. I held my breath as his gently pressed his lips to my neck. I couldn't let him do this; he would win if I did. I leaned back enough so that he wouldn't be able to touch me.

"I showed up because I was invited. I wanted to be with you on this special holiday. Whether you wanted to be with me or not, I wanted this to be special for us. Plus Charlie, I think he really likes me." He winked and I held back a smile.

I had to keep reminding myself that he had cheated on me and I wasn't going to forgive him.

EPOV:

I wanted to come right out and tell her, but she was being difficult. I wanted to just hold her so bad, but I knew it was too soon to make the move. I had missed her though. I had missed her smile, her touch, her smell. I wanted to be in bed with her, and just sleep. I miss it all.

"Anyway, Ben heard Andrew talking to Tanya. Andrew drugged me. Tanya set it all up. He put something in my drink and I thought I had gotten drunk, but I wasn't." I spilled out all of a sudden. I watched her face.

She showed no emotion. Then all of a sudden I realized he wasn't breathing. She began to choke and I went to her quickly. I managed to sit her down and put her head between her legs. Her breathing began to even out and then she began to sit up and stare me.

"Tanya set you up." She said calmly. "Okay."

I was nervous. This wasn't the reaction I was expecting. "What's wrong?"

She stood up fast and began to a sway a little. I helped her sit back down. "What's wrong?! What's wrong?!" She hissed. "You still slept with her. I don't know how I feel about that. I don't know if I can touch you, knowing that she's touched you."

I kissed her then. I couldn't help it. I leaned over and placed my lips over hers to get her to be quiet. I had forgotten to tell her the important part. Currently that was the last thing on our mind, she was responding to my kiss. He lips parted to grant me access to the inside of her mouth. It was the first time she granted the access first. I took full advantage, not remembering that we were sitting on her porch, with her dad and loaded gun a few feet away. Her hands went to my neck and mine to the back of her head to hold her steady against me. She was breathing into my mouth, and I was breathing back. My tongue teased hers and she teased mine back. Then all of a sudden she pulled back.

"I can't." She said and stood up and walked to the edge of the porch. "I keep thinking of her. I keep thinking of what she did to you. All those pictures, they keep flashing in my head."

I walked up behind her, standing with her back pressed against me. I leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I forgot to tell you the best part. The pictures were a set up. Nothing happened. I passed out. Nothing happened." I felt her tense up. I couldn't tell if it was a good reaction or a bad one.

A few minutes passed. "Do you have your car keys?" I didn't answer right away. That was the last thing in my mind that I assumed she would ask.

"Yes, right here." I said, pulling them out.

"Good because we're going to pay her a visit."

"Pay who exactly?" I asked, nervous to hear the answer.

"Tanya." She answered it so simply it began to frighten me. I wasn't going to let her do that. I was afraid Tanya would try to hurt her.

"Bella, think this through. It's Thanksgiving, you're dad is in the house waiting for you. I came to see you." I told her, she began to relax slightly. I began to massage her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Edward." She said. "I'm sorry for doubting you. You should probably hate me."

"No, Bella, no because I didn't even believe in my innocence." I turned her around to face me. "I promise from here on out, I will not drink or party with the wrong crowd. I won't sleep with anyone else but you. You're the one I want to be with in every way. You've become so important to me that these past few days have felt unreal. This has made me realize that you have become number for me. I can't lose you. I'm sorry for not knowing what I had done. I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for hurting you like this."

She kissed me then. "Shah, it's over now. There's nothing to even forgive you for. It wasn't your fault. She will pay though. One day, I promise." She wrapped her arms around me and laid her head on my chest. I began to hum the melody to the song that I was composing for her. And slowly I began to sway her to the music.

After a few minutes we broke apart and we sat down on the porch swing again. This time she was cuddled to my chest.

"Can I ask you something, Edward?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, my love, anything." I responded. I couldn't deny her anything.

She hesitated, I reached down and placing my finger underneath her chin to tilt it up to meet my gaze. She was blushing. "Never mind," she told me.

"You have to tell me now. Otherwise, I'll assume the worst." I teased. I kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and her eyelids. "C'mon, tell me."

"I never had asked before. I'm just wondering… If well, if you're… you know." She kept insinuating. I laughed.

"Yes. You?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, I've never been with anyone before you. So I mean... There's just never been anyone." She replied. "We better get inside. I'm sure Jacob's ready to kill me for leaving all the dishes for him to clean."

We both rose from the porch swing and made our way inside. Billy and Jacob left soon after. Jacob smiled slightly as he waved goodbye. I took it as a good sign. I was hoping to make some progress in his book. I bid Bella farewell not too long afterward. Charlie kept asking me to come back soon. I knew I would. Bella and I were back together.

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Authors Note:

Sorry that this took so long. My beta, the wonderfull singer1940, didn't get a chance to read this. I really wanted to post it, after I received three messages asking me to update. I hope y'all enjoy this. I'm looking forward to writing a lemon in either the chapter after the next or the one after that. I'll let y'all note so those who want to skip that chapter can do so.

Day


	20. Surprise

So like here's my situation. In 12 days I head back to my hometown after being away for a year. I will also be spending some time in seattle so I can get Stephenie Meyer to autograph my book. That means I might not be able to update until late August. i was thinking about ending this story in the next twelve days and starting a sequel once I settled in. tell me what you think!

day

Chapter 20: Surprise

EPOV:

Bella had spent the holidays in Florida . I missed her. She called me every night before she went to bed. It was easier since she was three hours ahead of time. She was flying in tomorrow and I had agreed to pick her up.

We had three days before school would begin again. It had all been Alice 's idea. She had told me that I needed to take Bella out. 'It would reassure her of your love' had been her exact words.

We hadn't heard from Tanya or seen her around. I had known Bella felt insure about our relationship before Thanksgiving; the incident caused that insecurity to sky rocket. She was afraid of me in a way. She was afraid to push me or to be upset. She was afraid of losing me and that frustrated me because I knew I'd never be able to leave her.

I was going to take her to a beach house in northern California . It would be our romantic getaway. I had it all planned out, I just hoped she wouldn't be too difficult about it.

I had gone ahead and called Ben. He agreed to call Angela and ask her to cover Bella's shifts at work so that Bella couldn't use it as an excuse.

I was excited that night before I went to bed. I couldn't wait to surprise Bella.

(Next Morning)

BPOV:

I left security and entered the waiting area where passengers were greeted by family and friends. I began to scan the crowd for Edward. I didn't think I would have trouble finding him since he was taller than six feet.

I walked off the escalators and still there was no sign of Edward. I began to head towards the door when I felt a tug on my luggage from behind. I panicked assuming someone was attempting to steal my luggage. I turned around to fight back when I saw the one person I had been dying to see for over a week.

I jumped into Edward's arms forgetting that I was holding a bag in my hands. He wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me up. I pressed my forehead against his and closed my eyes. I had missed this. He tilted his chin up and pressed his lips to mine. Mine began to respond to his, parting slightly Edward took advantage and slipped his tongue into my mouth. My met his and began to tease the tip. Slowly he slipped his tongue out of my mouth and placed me on the floor. I was breathing heavily and he seemed to be trying to regain control of his breathing.

"I've missed you." He said.

I smiled brightly. "I did, too."

He reached down and picked up my duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder and grabbed the handle of my rolling luggage bag. I slipped my hand into his empty one and intertwined our fingers. He lead the way back to the car and pressed the alarm allowing the trunk to pop open and the doors to become unlocked once we reached his Volvo. Like always, he lead me to the passenger door and closed the door behind me once I was inside.

"How was the flight?" He asked as he climbed into the driver's seat.

"It was okay. Smooth most of the way, except we had to circle the airport twice before we could land." I told him, closing my eyes a bit. I was tired.

"That's good. I was wondering why you were thirty minutes late." He mentioned softly. I looked over to look at his expression. Something about it wasn't right. It wasn't a bad something, just a different something.

I yawned, stretching my arms wide. He looked over. "Are you sleepy?"

I nodded. "A bit," I admitted. I leaned my head back against the headrest.

"You could take a short nap. I'll wake you up when we get there." He told me. I couldn't deny it was a good idea. My eyes were drooping.

"Okay," I told him and began to get comfortable and before I knew it I feel asleep.

EPOV:

I had been driving for about three hours and Bella was still sleeping. This part of the plan had turned out better. I didn't have to argue with her on the way out of Washington . I was sure that once we were in a different state, I'd be winning the argument.

We were about to reach the Oregon border when Bella began to stir. I braced myself for her reaction. She stretched her arms out and opened her eyes slowly. I forced myself to face the road.

She began to read the signs on the highway. It took her a few minutes to realize we were entering the state of Oregon . "Edward, where are we going?" She demanded.

"On our own vacation," I replied simply. I really wanted it to be surprise. I would hold out on it as much I could.

"Edward, I can't do this. I need to get back to work. I start again tomorrow." She told me. I kept thanking Alice for realizing that it would be her first argument and Angela for agreeing to cover for her.

"Angela's taking over your shifts. I called her and asked her to do so." I told her still staring at the road. I was afraid to look at her. I didn't want her to change my mind.

"Where are we going exactly, Edward?" She demanded again. She wasn't yelling.

"It's a surprised." I said. I looked at her then. I stared back at her, not letting her win. I really wanted this to make up for everything that had happened in the past month. "Please, don't be difficult."

I could tell that I had one when she broke eye contact first. She slumped in her chair and muttered. "It's your money we're wasting." I smiled at that. I was happy to have won.

The rest of the trip went smoothly. We didn't stop until we hit California where Bella became really excited, even though she was against the trip. We stopped in Redding to rest and relax for a few hours. I had been driving for almost ten hours straight.

Bella and I entered a restaurant where a waitress began to sit us down. Handing us the menu she began to take our drink orders.

After she left, Bella began to ask questions again. "Why the sudden change of plans?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I missed you so much. I wanted time to ourselves before school started again and we began to spend all of our time with school." I told her honestly.

She smiled and looked away. The waitress showed up just then with our drinks. I ordered food for both Bella and I. We ate and Bella told me about her trip to Florida . She mentioned how humid it was and how she didn't enjoy it. I was secretly glad. I was always afraid she'd decide to leave.

The rest of the drive was really talkative. Bella seemed more excited about the getaway than she had been a few short hours earlier. I smiled. I knew now that I had made the right decision in taking her here. I wanted to show her how much she meant to me. I wanted this trip to take all the doubts from her mind about how I felt about her. I was going to take our relationship a bit further.

We entered the city of Mendocino and I smiled. My family and I had taken a vacation here during the spring a few years back and it had been chilly. It was cold, but it was a small town. A beautiful small town that would allow us to walk on the beach without a lot of people interrupting our time together, it was perfect. I began to follow the directions I had memorized and we ended up in front of what used to be an old mansion.

It was now a bed and breakfast. It was family owned and absolutely beautiful. It was settled right on the beach. I heard Bella's intake of breath. She got out of the car slowly.

I went to the back of the Volvo and took her bag and mine out of the trunk. We began to walk up the drive way into the front office of the hotel.

Bella began to explore the first floor of the inn while I got us checked in. The receptionist kept trying to flirt with me. I hated to be rude, but she was really coming onto me. Bella returned and I wrapped my arm around her waist, hoping the receptionist would take a hint. She didn't stop smiling and handed the keys to me, ignoring Bella's presence all-together.

I grabbed my bag and followed Bella who had taken her bag and was headed for the stairs. We walked up to the fourth floor and she swiped our key in the slot. After a few seconds it turned green and allowed us inside.

The room was spectacular. There was a king bed in the middle of the room with a huge white blanket and six or more pillows. It looked so comfortable to lie in. The bathroom contained a Jacuzzi tub and a separate shower from it. It had twin sinks and a huge mirror covered the wall opposite the Jacuzzi and shower. There were two French doors that led to a balcony which faced the ocean.

Bella dropped her bags and climbed on top of the bed. She kicked her shoes off and motioned with her finger to come to her. I wasn't one to fight with her, so I gave in.

( LEMON, can absolutely be skipped.)

BPOV:

I wanted to lie in a bed with Edward. My trip to Florida had been very interesting. I had missed Edward emotionally and physically. I knew I wanted to go further and my trip to Florida had given me the strength to push his limits. I wanted to go further and I would be damned if he would keep holding back because of me.

Edward climbed on top of the bed and kneeled next to me. I slowly rose on my knees and kissed his lips softly at first, than slowly applying pressure. I opened my mouth and allowed him to invade my mouth with his tongue. I had forgotten how much it turned me on when he did that. I could feel his tongue sliding along my bottom lip. I moaned slightly. I began to tug at his t-shirt and he helped me by raising his arms so I could easily slide it off.

My hands ran along the length of his chest and I began to kiss his neck. I pushed on him slightly and he began to descend towards the bed. I climbed on top of him, straddling his waist. I could see the surprise on his face since I had never taken control before. I continued kissing his neck until I heard a small moan escape his lips and his skin was covered in goose bumps. My hands headed south and were softly touching his lower stomach.

I began to kiss his chest, feeling each muscle respond with a slight twitch. I smiled when my tongue teased his nipple until it hardened. I moved on to the next one pleased to hear him running out of breath. My mouth began to move lower until it was right above his jeans. My fingers began to undo his belt when I felt him sit up.

He captured my mouth again and his hands began to travel my body. I placed my hands on his chest, feeling his flesh underneath my fingers. He felt hot, hotter than I was. I could feel his heart beating. He was teasing my mouth with his tongue, his hands touching more than he would normally allow them.

I needed to feel his bare hands on my body. I wanted him to make me hot. I needed to feel his fingers touching parts of me that had never been touched before. It was a new sensation, but I felt comfortable in front of him.

I reached down and pulled my tank top over my head. Edward gasped. He stared at me before he began to kiss me in the same way I had done to him. He kissed my jaw line. It seemed to me as though he had all the time in the world. I needed more, I began to whimper.

His hands traveled down my sides, avoiding the one place that I ached for him. He kissed my upper chest softly. I pushed my chest forward, but he ignored that. I felt his mouth begin to travel back up. His mouth met mine again and for a second I forgot that I wasn't getting what I wanted. He was distracting me and he knew it. I reached behind my back and unclasped my bra.

Edward realized what happened when my bra slipped away and my bare breasts for the first time pressed themselves up against his chest. He stopped kissing me. He stopped breathing. He was staring at me. He then looked down and back into my eyes. I could see the desire in them. It was desire for me. It thrilled me. I became shy then. I realized this was the first time that anyone had seen them since me I grown out in the right places.

Edward was still cautious and I knew I had to make the move then or else his cool head would prevail. I grabbed his hand and pressed it to my left breast. His hand automatically squeezed the globe and I threw my head back in pure pleasure. Then I felt his thumb toying with my nipple before I began to feel his wet tongue there. I moaned loudly then. I had never realized it would feel this good. My other breast began to ache and he seemed to notice because he began to play with it with his free hand.

I began to grind against his sex which by was as hard as I had ever felt it. I wanted to touch him, but I wasn't sure if he would allow it tonight. I had pushed his limits pretty far and I didn't want to push too far. I didn't want him to regret this. He began to kiss his way up my chest again meeting my mouth in a long slow kiss. It was less urgent than the others had been.

Slowly both of our speeding hearts began to slow to their normal pace. Edward lay back down on the bed and pulled me on top of him. A few minutes later, I looked up to find that Edward had fallen asleep. I closed my eyes then and let myself fall asleep in his arms.


	21. Insecurities

Chapter 21: Insecurities

BPOV:

Edward was fast asleep on the bed. He slept peacefully on his side while his arm held me close to his body. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment. I had never woken up in his arms like this. I was topless and so was he. He wasn't worried about it and hadn't made me put a shirt on before going to bed.

He had woken up around two a.m. to put on his pajamas pants. I sat up in bed and took off my jeans and crawled under the covers. He climbed in beside me and turned off the light. I was afraid that he wouldn't pull me close, but then his arm snaked around my waist and pulled me close to him. Soon after that he began to hum a tune, my lullaby, and I fell asleep.

The alarm went off. I didn't remember either one of us setting it. Edward snuggled close to me before murmuring. "Time to get up, love," he said.

I turned over to face him and found his eyes still closed. "I've been awake. You're the sleepyhead."

He smiled, it was a mischievous smile and I knew what was coming. He climbed over me and straddled my waist and then began to tickle me. I squirmed and laughed. I glanced upward to see Edward's face and noticed that they were beginning to cloud with desire. His tickling became stroking.

I closed my eyes enjoying his touch. I felt his member pressed against my lower stomach. I tried to move my waist closer to him, but his hands were there pushing my hips down and then he was off the bed.

"Please put a shirt on, Bella." He said walking into the bathroom.

I sat up in the middle of the bed, shocked. I was confused by his actions. I thought he had enjoyed it. I knew I had pushed his limits, but he hadn't seemed to regret it all night. I felt rejection wash through me as I began to look for a t-shirt. I heard the shower start and I started to look through my clothes to find something to wear for the day. I had no idea what Edward had planned. I decided to wait for him to come out before I chose anything.

The minutes went by slower when I watched the clock. I tried reading a book that had been on the desk, but it was useless. I knew that when Edward came out of that shower I would know why he left me there.

EPOV:

I knew I had lost control the previous night, but this morning, my head was in a clearer place. I had the will to stop, but not if I kept staring at her.

I stared at myself in the mirror and slowly regained my control. I knew I needed to go out and confront her before she jumped to the wrong conclusions. I opened the bathroom door to find Bella packing her suitcase. Tears were streaming down her face. About the only sane thing she had done was to put a shirt on.

"What are you doing?" I asked her. She looked up at me and I could see all the hurt she had been hiding from me.

"I'm leaving," she said simply. She closed up her bag and began to rise from the floor.

"Why?" I was getting a bit annoyed.

"Because it's obvious that you don't want me. I mean, you always stop and I realize now that I'm not good enough. After the Tanya incident things just haven't gotten better. Edward, I can't keep being rejected by you." She explained wiping the tears from her face and walking out the door.

I stood there unsure whether to laugh or scream. She doubted I wanted her. I had stopped because I hadn't wanted to lose her by pushing her too far. The door slammed and all my thoughts stopped and I headed to the door. I opened it and managed to catch Bella at the elevator.

"Let's go back inside and talk Bella." I asked her.

"No." Her reply came back, unsurprisingly.

"Bella, we can do this the easy way or the difficult way." I warned her.

"No, Edward." She yelled at me.

"Fine," I replied and I picked her up and slung her over my shoulder. She began to protest and I reached down to grab her bag and easily walked back into our room. I set the bags by the door and sat Bella on the bed.

"Fine, let's talk Edward. Hurry up though, I need to figure out a way home." She said. I had never seen her like this.

I stood up and stared at her. "I want you. Badly, Bella, so badly. I know what your limits are though and I will not lose you simply because of my manly needs. That's why I stopped. I don't want to push you beyond your boundaries. I could not live with myself if I lost you over something I did."

She looked up at me. "Edward, I want you. I don't want you to stop."

I looked down at her. I looked at those eyes, that shone brightly for me. I saw the desire that I had refused to see before and I knew I had stopped out of imaginary boundaries. "I love you, Bella. If you're ready, we'll do it. But we'll do it the right way, okay?"

"Are you sure Edward?" She asked, the doubt evident.

"Never ever again question my love or desire for you. I never want you to worry over that again. I want you to know that you're the only one who has ever held my heart. You're the only want I want to be with for the rest of my life. It's been a crazy few months, but I want you to promise me that you will never doubt again." I asked her. I bent down to kiss her lips, once, twice, three times. "Promise?" I whispered against her lips.

"Promise." She whispered back before I began to kiss her deeply. I knew right now was not the right time for what she wanted. I began to pull back.

"Later, tonight." I promised. She nodded and I hugged her as we laid back on the bed.

After a few minutes, she broke our silence. "What's the plan for today?"

I put my nose in her hair, taking in her smell. "It's a surprise. There's an outfit in the closet. I want you to wear it tonight. I'm leaving in 20 minutes and I'll be back for you at 4pm."

She smiled as she looked up at me. "You'll never stop the surprises, will you?"

"Not as long as I love you, so... Yeah you're right, never." I teased her. I heard her wonderful laugh and it filled me up inside.

I leaned down to kiss her lips and I felt her press her breast onto my chest. She was driving me insane. It made it worse now, knowing what would come tonight and having to stop right now because it didn't feel right. I tried to pull back and she pushed up and press me into the mattress.

"Maybe I better leave now." I told her. She laughed I began to get up and she refused to get off me.

"Promise me." she said seriously.

"Promise you what?" I asked.

"Promise me that tonight will be the night and I'll let you leave." She compromised.

"I promise." She let me go then and walked me to the door. I kissed her one last time and she closed the door.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this took me so long to get out. But the ending hit me and I have been working on that for the past few days. It gives me a place to go. I have something planned for Tanya and then there's chapter where they make love. The ending chapter. Of course there will be a sequel as soon as my computer is up and running. I hope you enjoy this. It's to tie up her insecurities.

day


	22. Love Date

Chapter 22: Love Date

BPOV:

This morning had been incredible with Edward. He had made me see that I was the only one for him. I was excited and nervous at the same time about tonight. I had never been completely naked in front of him, but I knew I wanted this. It seemed like the only step forward in our relationship.

I had walked into the closet to find a simple black dress hanging in there. On the floor was a box where a pair of silver high heeled shoes sat. I smiled to myself because Edward had not over done it. He had chosen something simple and he had known I wouldn't feel ridiculous wearing it. I had gotten ready slowly. I had about three hours before Edward would be back so I had wanted to make sure I didn't rush and end up with too much time on my hands.

I was now sitting on our balcony staring out the window. I had a put on a coat that Edward had bought me a few weeks before. It was black and it kept me warm. I was sure it had cost him a lot of money, but I stopped complaining when I realized it put him in a bad mood.

I kept glancing at the clock. I couldn't wait to find out what my surprise was. I walked back inside the hotel room and sat down on the bed. It seemed incredible that it had only been a few shorts months that we had been together. It seemed like Edward had always been part of my life. I couldn't seem to think of a single time when life was happy without him.

Finally, I saw the door knob turn and I stood up. The door open and there stood my angel. He was dressed up in a tuxedo and smiling broadly. He came to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Hello, my love." He whispered into my ear. I suppressed a shudder and had to remind myself that I had agreed to his surprise before we could do anything else.

"Hi," I answered back once he kissed me. I let my forehead rest against his chin and I could feel his nose in my hair.

"You look amazing. I knew it would fit you perfectly." He told me.

I wasn't sure if he had picked this out by himself or with the help of Alice . I didn't want to know either. "You look fantastic yourself, Edward. Can you tell me now what the surprise is?"

He shook his head and smiled before kissing my lips one last time. "No, but we sure can get going now. Are you ready?"

I nodded and began to turn off the lights. He opened the door and we walked out of the room. It wasn't until we arrived at the car that I had realized that I had never been in California . I had never heard of this town. I imagined warm sunny beaches, not a cold cloudy sky. "What is this place?"

"It's one of California 's best kept secrets. It's a really beautiful, small town. No one's really discovered it yet so it's not contaminated or filled with tourists. It's not crowded and it's a nice place to take a real vacation. We found this place a few years ago when my dad refused to ask for directions. We return as often as possible. This is northern California , so it's not hot or sunny like southern California is." He explained to me.

I could see the truth in his words. I realized that in all of my visions of California, the beaches were always crowded. This entire city seemed to just sit here quietly. I was beginning to fall in love with it by the second. He continued to drive along the water line. I was starting to wonder where he was taking us. Soon he was pulling up in front of place called Stevenswood. There were lights glowing from inside and people were slow dancing on the porch in the back. I looked over at Edward and smiled. He knew I already loved it.

EPOV:

She couldn't wipe the smile off her face. I was enjoying every minute of it. Stevenswood was a classy restaurant that was situated right on the beach. You could enjoy dancing on the back porch and even a stroll on the beach after or before dinner. I had called to make a reservation about a week ago and found out they were completely booked. It had taken Carlisle an hour of persuading before they went ahead and booked my reservation.

I grabbed Bella's hand with mine and began to lead her to the front door. The host at the front door asked for my name and if I had reservation. I could see a few couple sitting on the benches waiting for any cancellations.

"It should be under Cullen for four-thirty, private room." I stated as the host began to look down the list.

"Yes, sir, I see it. Is it just you and the lady? Please follow me." He said and began to walk inside the restaurant.

Once inside, Bella kept looking at every inch of the place. I could almost hear her gasp whenever she saw something she liked. The main dining area was filled with guests eating and mainly candlelit. The waiters and waitresses were doing an excellent job of keeping wine glasses full and making sure dirty plates weren't sitting there.

The host escorted us to a room on the back right side of the building. It was closed off and had a private porch in the back. He laid our menus on the table and proceeded to ask what we wanted to drink.

Bella ordered a Shirley Temple and I asked for an iced tea. Once the host left, I led Bella to the porch and we sat down on one of the benches situated there.

Slowly, a few minutes before the sun began to set, the clouds parted and it was a clear sky. Bella looked over at me amazed. It had been cloudy the entire day.

"It's one of Mendocino's secrets." I whispered into her ear and she leaned into me. We sat there as the sun began to set and didn't move until we heard our waiter come inside.

We walked inside of the room and sat down. Bella picked up her menu and began to study it. I knew she wasn't going to recognize a lot of the food so I took the menu from her hands.

"Actually, we don't need to order. I already had our dinner pre-selected. I wanted to make sure we didn't have to stay here longer than necessary." I explained to her when I saw her puzzled face.

"Oh, well wasn't that extremely thoughtful of you." She whispered as she leaned forward on the table.

I winked back at her and asked our waiter when our food would be ready.

"Another 30 minutes sir, they're still finishing with the main entrée." He explained.

"Thank you, I'll be taking Bella to dance. Can you please inform us when dinner is ready?" I asked him. He nodded and proceeded to exit the room.

I stood up and led Bella to our private porch. I was extremely glad my dad could get us this room. I knew how much Bella hated to dance in front of people, but I wanted to dance with her tonight. It felt right.

As we crossed into the porch I heard the songs melody fill the porch. I was sure it had been there moments earlier when we were watching the sun set, but the song playing currently made perfect sense into our life.

_You're in my arms _  
_And all the world is calm  
The music playing on for only two_

I pulled Bella to face me, placing one hand on her waist and grabbing her hand with the other. She blushed and put her head down to try and hide it. We slowly began to sway to the music.

_So close together  
And when I'm with you  
So close to feeling alive_

She leaned her head on my chest and I knew she was listening to my heartbeat. I smiled realizing just how special she was to me now. I never thought I could learn to love someone this much. I always assumed I would grow to care for a person, but never this intensely.

_A life goes by  
Romantic dreams must die  
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew  
So close was waiting, waiting here with you_

I leaned down and kissed her forehead. She tilted her head up and I knew what she wanted. I leaned down slowly and pressed my lips lightly over her mouth. I didn't want to ruin this moment. This was our first dance.

_So close to reaching that famous happy end  
Almost believing this was not pretend  
Now you're beside me and look how far we've come  
So far we are so close_

Those words to the song were so true. We had come a long way since that day I had met her at the hotel. The strong character she was. I found out how soft Bella really was. She was one of the few to have realized she could fight Tanya back. She was the only one who stayed through it all.

_How could I face the faceless days  
If I should lose you now?  
We're so close  
To reaching that famous happy end  
Almost believing this was not pretend_

I couldn't lose Bella now. I knew that as I stared into her eyes. I knew that no matter what, I would need to see her wake up next to me for the rest of our lives. I knew that if she ever died, I'd follow her almost immediately. I wonder if she would ever realize that. I wonder if I would ever be able to convince her of that.

_Let's go on dreaming for we know we are  
So close  
So close  
And still so far_

The song sang it's last few notes and Bella and I kept swaying. I smiled before kissing her again. We had a long way to go. We had our entire lives together. Tonight was the start of a new phase. I looked at her and realized her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. She was just as touched as I had been. This couldn't have been a more perfect song for our first dance.

She closed her eyes and I kiss each lid. I kissed her cheeks and her nose. She was such a precious being, I wish she would realize it.

I looked up to see the waiter headed our way. I knew dinner was ready and we should get going. I kissed Bella one last time before we began to make our way inside. I placed my chair closer to Bella, I needed to be as close to her as possible right now.

The waiter placed our entrees in front of us and walked out of the room. I saw Bella lean forward to taste it. I waited until I got the okay from her. I didn't want to eat any more if Bella didn't like it. I would order something else if need be.

She looked up when she realized I was waiting for her reaction. She smiled and licked her lips before saying, "Absolutely delicious."

I wonder if she realized how that simple move made me hard. "You can say that again." I whispered huskily.

She looked up again to meet my eyes. I leaned forward and traced my lip along her mouth again. She gasped into my mouth and leaned forward. I was still sane enough to stop, but than her hand slipped between our bodies and began to rub my member through my slacks. I immediately forgot about the assault my tongue had been doing on her mouth. I threw my head back in pleasure and she seemed to take that as a sign of encouragement.

She then surprised me again by unzipping my slacks and slipping her hand inside the waistband of my boxers. Her hands were cold from just being outside and it intensified her touching. She began to stroke it gently and I had to bite down on my lip to keep from moaning aloud. She ran her hand along the length of it, and then slowly applied pressure at the head of it. She had such wicked hands and I began to wonder if she had in fact never done this before.

Slowly, sanity seemed to return to me. Not all of it, but enough sanity that I knew we needed to head back to our room, now. I reached down and slowly pulled her hand away. Leaning forward, I please my forehead against hers. I could hear her breathlessness matching my own. I smiled kissed her lips softly before she began to add more pressure to the kiss.

"I think we better take dinner to-go." I admitted softly.

"I agree completely." She agreed.

It was all I needed. I reached down and closed my pants up before calling the waiter over. He packed up our dinner and we proceeded to head out the front so we could pay. I grabbed her hand the entire way home. She was blushing and I began to wonder if she was nervous. I couldn't trust my voice to talk so I didn't say anything.

Once back at the inn, she led the way up the stairs to our bedroom. She squeezed my hand when I fumbled with the keys in front of our room. I was nervous. This was my first time. This was Bella's first time. I wanted to last enough for her to enjoy it. Finally when I was able to open the door, I stepped inside closed the door behind us and Bella pushed me against the door, kissing me hard. This was the start of our first love making.

* * *

AN

The songs name is So Close by Jon McLaughlin and this will be my wedding song.  
As far as Tanya, I might not include what happens to her, it's more of I'm running out of time.  
Packing up my place has been hectic. I'll try to include Tanya though, but if not, please dont kill me.  
day


	23. Love Making

LEMONS!! likes crazy. hehe. I hope y'all like it. I dunno, I rewrote this chapter in bellas view andthen changed my mind and did it in both.  
day

* * *

Chapter 23:

BPOV:

I was pressing Edward against the door. I wasn't giving him any chances to change his mind. I knew that this was the next step in our relationship and I wanted to take it. Nothing was going to stop me tonight. I felt Edward's hands on my back, pressing me closer to him. I leaned in and pressed myself against him. His hard body under my soft one.

I felt his hands travel up my back to cup my chin and he stopped applying so much pressure. His kiss was softening and I was melting against his body. He began to walk towards the bed, my step matching his.

"We're going to do this slow the first time, Bella." He told me and I knew I would obey no matter what.

He pushed me back on the bed and pulled us toward the head of it. We lay there while he stroked my face his hands traveling downward. He was going too slow for me. I slipped my tongue out of my mouth and invaded his and until he responded. He pushed me back and straddled my hips. He lips touched my forehead, my cheeks. He reached my neck and added pressure. His mouth began to kiss my chest and he used his teeth to pull the straps off my shoulders.

He kissed all the way until he reached the barrier of my dress. I began to raise myself up from the bed and he wrapped his hands around me to unzip the back of it. He began to pull it off and I slowly adjusted my weight to pull it off. He threw it on the floor next to the bed and I laid back. I closed my eyes waiting for Edward's mouth to begin it's journey again. I opened them to find him staring at me.

"You're irresistable." He said simply when he noticed that I had realized he was staring.

I smiled shyly and I felt a blush work it's way up to my cheeks. He reached his fingertips and touched the tops of my breasts that peeked out of the blue lacy bra that Alice and Rosalie had helped me pick out. I made a mental note to thank them for this. Slowly he lowered his head and kissed the area where his fingers just had been. I pressed my chest forward and he got the message. He teased my nipple through the outside of the bra using his hand to squeeze the other one in between his thumb and forefinger.

I moaned slightly, wanting more. He just looked up and smiled before reaching behind me to unclasp my bra. In less than a second it had disappeared, too. I closed my eyes as his hot wet mouth enclosed my nipple. I couldn't surpress the moan that escaped my lips. He concentrated on that nipple and I reached down and placed his hand on my other breast. He looked up and met my eyes. He smiled that secret smile that he only managed for me before moving his mouth to share the same attention with that breast as he had with the other.

His hands were free to roam along my body. He walked them lightly accross my stomach. He teased the waistband of my panties. My hips thrust forward which seemed to surprise Edward. His hands inched lower, slowly. He trailed a finger along the outer edge of the panties. I heard myself gasp.

He slipped his fingers underneath the elastic of the panties and I couldn't help my reaction. "Edward," I moaned softly, as his slipped his finger inside of me. I began to rock against his hand. Soon, much too soon, I felt the contractions in my lower half explode and spread through my body.

My breathing was uneven as was his. I hadn't realized that he had watched me the entire time. It was then that I realized he was fully clothed. I could see his erection straining to be released from his pants.

EPOV:

I saw Bella glance at my erection and it made me even harder. Watching her orgasm to my touch had been amazing. I knew I was going to enjoy that until we got old. Bella began to sit up and started to unbutton my shirt. I didn't stop her. I knew now that I'd never be able to.

She was kissing my chest, trailing her hand gently along the length of my entire chest. She moved cautiously at first and began to be bolder as she gained confidence. Her hands were still shaky. I smiled and she rose to her knees so she could kiss me. I felt her bare breasts press against my now bare chest.

She reached down and unbuttoned my pants, sliding her hand inside. I knew I wouldnt be able stand her touch much longer so I pulled her away.

She looked up at me and I saw the curiousity in her eyes. I shook my head. "I'm too close." I took my pants off and only stopped to grab the condom from the back pocket.

I joined her on the bed again and she took the packet from my hands. Quickly taking it out and sliding it on me. I groaned at the touch of her hands.

I push her back on the bed and lay next to her, my thighs in between hers. I kissed her lips softly. I could feel her shaking underneath me.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

She nodded, but I saw something else in her eyes. "I'm just afraid."

"Of what?" It was a simple question. Part of me couldnt believe we were having a conversation before this was going to happen.

"Of the pain. Of taking the step. Are you ready?" She whispered. I had forgotten it would hurt her.

"I'm ready if you are. We'll take it slow, okay? If it's too much, I'll stop. Just say the word, okay?" I assured her. She nodded and reached her hand down to grab me and place me at her entrance.

I looked her and she nodded. Slowly I pushed down, watching her face intently as she bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain. I was all the way in, but I didn't move, allowing time for her to adjust.

I could feel the warm wetness for the first time. It felt incredible. I never knew it would feel this different. I felt alive. I kept wanting to move, a natural rhythm inside me. She opened her eyes and pushed her hips forward. I took that as a sign that she was ready and slowly I pulled out and pushed back in.

Every thrust was met with one of hers. Faster and faster until I could feel her contracting agianst me and with a final thrust I felt the same rush she was experiencing.

The room was quiet with the exception of our breathing. I rolled off her and disposed of the condom. When I came back she had pulled back the covers on the bed. I joined her, covering us both with the blankets. She curled into my side and her eyelids closed. I didn't know if she had fallen asleep or was just resting, but I didn't talk just in case.

Soon, sleep overcame me and I let myself roll along with it.


	24. Last Chapter

First off I would love to thank with a million hugs and kisses Michelle, Singer1940 who was my beta for this story

First off I would love to thank with a million hugs and kisses Michelle, Singer1940 who was my beta for this story.

Secondly, I hope everyone will take a look at my profile page. There is a link to Bella's dress, the restaurant, the hotel, and her ring now posted. It's pretty amazing.

And lastly, thank you to everyone who has reviewed and read this story. Thank you for making it such a great success.

* * *

Chapter 24:

Bella's Point of View:

I woke up with a start. I turned over to find Edward's warm naked body next to mine. I felt incredibly sore. I looked over my shoulder at the alarm clock on the night stand to find that it was almost one in the afternoon.

I looked over and saw that Edward was still fast asleep as I should probably be as well. We had made love again twice throughout the night. I tried to go back to sleep, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to accomplish that so I quietly left the bed and headed for the bathroom. I turned on the shower and stepped inside, relishing in the feel of the hot water washing off the sweat from my body. I closed my eyes and allowed the water to hit the back of my neck, soothing the entire ache away.

After a few minutes, when I thought I heard Edward moving around in the bedroom, I turned off the water, and stepped out of the shower. I wrapped a towel around me and went into to the bedroom. Edward was still in bed which made wonder who I had heard walking around. I opened the drawer that contained my clothes and saw that Edward had put a rose on the top.

There was a note that said _Last night definitely made my top ten list_. I looked behind me and saw that Edward was staring at me. I smiled and grabbed a shirt and put it on. I climbed back into bed and Edward pulled the cover over us.

"How are you, my love?" He whispered into my ear as I snuggled closer to him.

"Extremely sore, and tired," I replied honestly. I knew he would figure it out eventually.

He turned me over to face and placed a kiss on my lips. "I love you, Isabella Swan."

"I love you, too, Edward Cullen." I teased him back. He closed his eyes and rolled onto his back.

"I have one last surprise before we leave tomorrow morning." He told me softly. I knew he was hoping I wouldn't have caught it.

"Edward, how much more did you spend? You've already made my weekend. You've made me the happiest woman alive; I really don't need much else." I argued.

He smiled. "You said you don't need much else. What do you need?"

"I need you to marry me at some point in our life. I need you to make babies with me. I need you to grow old with me so that we can sit on our porch and smile as our kids grow."

He leaned over and kissed me softly. It was a sweet kiss, a long sweet kiss that showed me just how much he truly loved me. I never had felt so incredible before. I would have never guessed that this would happen to me. I never knew I'd be one of those girls that fall in love with a guy. I always imagined it was something else everyone had, something that I would never get a taste of.

"What are you thinking?" He asked when he released his hold on my lips.

"I'm thinking about how I cannot believe I found a love this strong." I admitted. "When does your next surprise start?"

He began to kiss my neck, "Well, that depends on whether or not you're up to another round of …"

He trailed off as he began to kiss the exposed skin on my chest.

I lifted myself up. "Oh, I think I'm definitely ready." I smiled wickedly.

He placed his hands underneath my shirt and pulled it over my head. I lost all coherent though when he placed his open mouth over my nipple.

Edward's Point of View (A Flashback):

_I stood outside of the jewelry store. I knew it was going to be a hard gift to get her to accept, but it was something I knew I wanted to give her. _

_I knew we were much too young to get engaged, but I wanted to make what we had more official than just boyfriend and girlfriend. It always felt more than just that. I came here with a certain style of promise ring in mind. I wanted to make the promise to make her one day my wife and I knew I would spend as much as was necessary to get the perfect ring, even if she threw a fit about it. _

_The only person I had told had been Alice . She had practically screamed her head off. I still could hear the ringing of shrill screams in my ears. We spent hours on the internet looking for the perfect ring. After a few hours, I left Alice to it and decided to take a break. It wasn't until a few hours later that she had found the perfect ring. The minute I set my eyes on it, I knew that would be the ring I'd give her. _

_Alice had insisted on coming with me, but I told her I really rather not go with anyone. It felt like a private shopping trip, something I knew Alice would understand. She wanted to tell Rosalie, but I knew she would tell Emmett, and Emmett would Jasper and at some point someone would warn Bella. _

_I walked into the jewelry store. One of the employees immediately came up to talk to me. I explained to her the ring I had seen on the internet and she smiled. _

_"I know exactly the ring you're talking about." She led me through the store to the back where all the promise rings were. _

_She went behind the glass displays and pulled out Bella's ring. Or what would soon be Bella's ring. I smiled as I placed my fingers on it. I realized just how much I knew I wanted to see this on her finger. _

_"This is the ring." I let her know. She smiled and began to walk to a desk with chairs._

_"Will you need this resized?" She asked me and I realized I didn't know. _

_"I'm not sure. I'll take it as it is, and if I need to resize it, I'll come and have that done." I explained and she smiled. I was sure many men came in with the same problem. _

_We started the purchase and I handed her the credit card my dad gave me. She came a few minutes later with a bag and my credit card. I thanked her profusely and I walked out of the store. I felt like a new man, with brand new hope and spirit. I knew only Bella would be able to do that for me. _

_I couldn't wait until I could give her the ring. I wanted it to fit though so I knew I needed to figure out her ring size before she came back from Florida . It was on my way home that I realized that I could always visit Charlie. _

Bella's Point of View (Present Time Again):

Edward had said I could dress up semi-formal. I was excited because the look on Edward's face was extremely happy. I could tell that whatever he had planned, he was really proud of it. I wanted to ask him, but I knew it was pointless. Edward would never give a surprise away. I just had to get used to it.

I slipped on a white dress and grabbed my coat from the floor. I still couldn't find my panties from last night, but Edward and I had given up on that. He was in the bathroom shaving. I always tried to sit and watch him since it fascinated me, but today we were apparently running behind schedule. So I had to hurry and get ready.

I was glad I had packed the dress otherwise I would have had to wear the one I wore last night or worse, Edward would have gone out and bought me another one. I slipped on my shoes and waited for Edward to come out. He was dressed up in slacks and button-up shirt. I smiled at him and stood up. He came over and placed a hand on my waist, the other on my lower back, pressing me into him. I closed my eyes, waiting for his lips to touch themselves to mine. A few second passed by, I could feel his breath on my face; I just didn't understand why he wasn't kissing me. I leaned forward, and he leaned back. I opened my eyes to find him smiling.

"What's the problem?" I asked him. I really wanted to kiss him.

"I'm just enjoying the moments before I give in." He lowered his head and kissed my lips tenderly a few times. "Time to go."

We walked outside and he pulled out the keys from his pocket. I noticed he kept looking behind me at the cottage behind the one we were staying in. I looked that way and noticed a yellow porshe.

"Hey, it looks identical to Alice 's car." I realized that's why he kept looking that way. Her car wasn't very popular. Even less since it was yellow.

"I know. Strange, isn't it?" He commented as he avoided looking that way. "Is something wrong?" I asked him. I felt something else in the atmosphere.

"Nothing really, except we really need to get going or else we will be late." He said as he pulled the car out.

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

"The beach," came his only reply.

"So then why are going to be late?" It didn't make sense.

"Because I want us to spend some time at the beach before we have to arrive for our appointments for dinner." He explained.

"Oh." I answered.

A few minutes later he was parking in front of the open sea. I looked at it and realized I hadn't had a chance to enjoy it. It was cold, but it still didn't stop it from looking amazing. I was glad that Edward wanted to spend some time before we left enjoying the beach.

Edward's Point of View:

I grabbed her hand and began to lead her to the beach. Once we were on the sand she took off her shoes. I remembered that she always enjoyed feeling the sand on in between her toes.

I had chosen to the beach because it was where I had first kissed her. It was the first time I had realized that I could grow to enjoy her for a long time. It felt like a nice place to start our second beginning.

The little black box weighed a ton in my pocket. I had to keep convincing myself that it would be alright. I had to tell myself she wouldn't object to it and that I wouldn't scare her off. I just hope it all turned out to be true.

We walked until I felt it was right. I stopped and looked at her. She looked puzzled. I smiled and pushed her hair out of her face. It was a bit windy near the water and it caused her hair to fly along with the wind. It made her all the more beautiful. I kissed her lips and took a deep breath.

"Bella, have I told you that I love you?" I asked her.

"Every day, you remind me every day." She told me.

"I need you to be quiet, and let me finish, okay?" I placed a finger on her lips. It was hard enough to get this all out, I didn't need her also interrupting me. She nodded.

"Isabella Swan, I love you more than I ever knew I could be capable of loving. Before I met you, I always dated and stopped, never truly being involved with anyone. And I was happy, it wasn't until you came into my life, that I realized that I needed someone else. I needed you to complete me. I needed to hear your voice every day and see your smile every morning. It was like I was living in the dark and all of the sudden, you filled it all up with your sunlight. I tasted it and needed it to survive through the day. I can't let you go now. I can't ever let you. I hope you never stop loving me until the day we die. I hope that you feel the same way I do. I hope that as long as we both live, we spend each day loving and cherishing each other. I want to have children when we get old and spend the time until then practicing on the process. I want to surprise you everyday even though you always hate it." I sank down to my knee and I saw her eyes go wide. "I know we're too young to be engaged, let alone be married." I pulled the black box out of my pocket and opened it for her. "I want to promise you, that I will one day make you my wife. That I will never cheat on you. That I will always stand up for you and never let anyone hurt you. That no matter what I will always love you. I hope that you take this ring and wear it, as a reminder of all that."

I could see the tears streaming down her face silently. She nodded and I slid the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit. I stood up and kissed her. I held her tight to me. She kissed me back just as passionately. We held each other like that: all kisses and wet tears and cold breezes.

I pulled back and stared into her adoring eyes. "There's one more surprise."

She rolled her eyes. "Wasn't this enough?"

I shook my head. "This surprise isn't from me. It's from someone else."

"Who?" She asked me curiously as I led her back to the car.

"I can't tell you, they'd kill me." I told her honestly. She rolled her eyes again as she climbed into the passenger seat. "I can tell you we're going back to Steven's Wood."

"At least I know where we're going." She murmured. The drive over was silent. I held her hand, my finger kept rubbing her ring.

I pulled into the parking lot of Steven's Wood once again. Bella immediately noticed the yellow porshe again.

"Alice, oh no." She commented.

"Come on, let's go inside. You'll like this surprise." I told her.

Bella's Point of View:

I was nervous. Alice tended to go overboard on surprises. She tended to go overboard on everything. I remembered the time she had asked me to go shopping. I agreed, trying to look good in Edward's family's eyes. Only to find out it was turned into Bella-barbie day.

Edward held my hand the entire way into the restaurant. He let the host know we were with the Swan-Cullen party.

_Swan-Cullen_? I was getting more confused as the minutes ticked off. The host led us to a private opposite of where our dinner was held last night. I could see that it looked bigger. I saw the sillouhuette of several people in the room.

The host opened the door and everyone inside looked to look at us. "Surprise!" I heard Alice say from the corner of the room. I looked up at Edward and saw that he was surprised too.

Everyone was here. Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Charlie, Jacob, and Billy, and two people who I immediately recognized as Edward's parents. I saw Alice coming my way and Edward stepped off to the side to greet his parents.

"Let me see the ring!" She sighed. "It's perfect, isn't it? Come look at it, Rosalie."

Rosalie left Emmett's side, who started to talk to Jasper and also came to look t my ring. "I'm so jealous, Bella. It's a beautiful ring."

"Is everyone in on this?" I asked Alice.

"When Edward told me what he was going to do, I let my parents know and daddy dearest helped me arrange for this surprise party. I let Edward think it was going to be us four." She explained pointing to Jasper. "Daddy found Charlie's station's number and let him know and invited him to join us. Rosalie and Emmett seemed natural after that. And voila, you have you're happy promise party."

"Alice, you find any excuse to throw a party." Edward said from the end of the table.

I went to join him. Edward introduced me. "Mom, dad, this is Bella. Bella, this is Carlisle, my dad and Esme, my mom."

I shook each of their hands in turn and smiled politely. "Please excuse our daughter, she can sometimes get a bit carry away."

"It's no problem. You get used to it." I smiled.

We all took a seat as our waiter came in and introduced himself. We gave him our order. The "we" being Alice mainly. We all fell into conversation. Carlisle, Billy and Charlie were having a conversation on the security of big cities. Jacob was talking with Jasper and Emmett. Alice kept talking to Rosalie. I looked over at Edward who was talking to his mom about plans for spring break. I smiled to myself.

Edward looked over at me then. "Is something wrong?"

I shook my head without hesitation. "No, love. Everything's perfect."

Our waiter arrived with glasses of champagne and apple cider, for those of us who weren't old enough to drink alcohol yet.

Alice cleared her throat. "Congradulations to Edward and Bella. I'm extremely proud of my little brother for finally being able to settle down. I would like to say that I'm happy Bella and her family could join us. And lastly, I would like to mention that Jasper and I are engaged."

The table exploded as Esme and Rosalie demanded to see the ring. I looked over at Edward and I knew he had known from the start. Alice could never really hide anything from him.

Edward stood up just then. "I would like to thank you all for coming out here. I'm glad we could enjoy this dinner, here before the semester starts again and we all head back to our busy lives. So I say we make a toast, to being able to enjoy being a family and learning to live our lives. And to make the promise to always be there for each other."

We all raised our glasses and as the clinking of the glasses turned into gulps from our throats. I knew that this couldn't be a better way to kick off the start of the year. I linked my hand with Edward's. Life had really turned out to be perfect.

* * *

Authors Note:

**There will be a sequel to this story**. And it will go out as soon as I have time and internet again. I would say around the end of August, beginning of September. I have a lot going on the next month. I will be able to access the internet, but not daily or constantly. I will be seeing Stephenie Meyer in Seattle and it'll be amazing. Everyone is welcomed to add me on myspace.

/totalbandgeek just put a message saying you've read my fanfic so I don't deny it.

I have another project going on that I will be concentrating on. Some information is posted on my authors page. I'm hoping I'll more responses to that so I can add your ideas to my story.

With that said, I'll add a chapter to this story notifying everyone that the sequel is up. Thank you so much. Please review.

Sincerely, Day.


	25. Authors Note

Hey everyone.

I have access to the internet.

My plan for the sequel was to do it four years in the future. After they had both graduated.

So I was wondering, since I have internet on and off for the next few weeks, if you guys wanted me to post small stories about things that happened in those missing four years.

Just review and let me know!

day


	26. sorry

I dont think Ill have time to post small stories. I've been so busy and barely have had time to get online.

On a side note: join this rp- community./thedarkestpoint/

Im on there. But Ill post a summary of the events for the four year gap.

day


	27. Beautiful Love

Hey everyone,

Im back. I'll update as often as I can, but I cannot promise daily updates.

The sequel is titled Beautiful Love and it picks up three years later. It's in the middle of August and I'm really excited to keep going with this.

Thank you for all the support and love. I cannot wait until y'all beginning reading the sequel.

Enjoy!

Day


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